Johor polls: PAS eyes political pact, seat talks with Umno, other parties

Johor PAS might enter a pact with Umno and several other parties to avoid multi-cornered contests in the upcoming state election, according to its chief, Mahfodz Mohamed.

Speaking at a press conference last night, he said any cooperation would not take the form of a formal coalition but rather an understanding on seat allocations.

“In the event there is a political pact, it would be an understanding to ensure no clashes.

“We will be contesting using our respective party logos because the Registrar of Societies would not allow last-minute changes,” Mahfodz said in Johor Bahru.

He was responding to a reporter's question on the possibility of PAS working together with Umno or forming a cooperation with the party for the state polls.

The proposed cooperation follows PAS’ recent shift in political strategy after the Islamist party decided to end its ties with Bersatu.

Asked whether the arrangement meant PAS would be going solo in the state polls, Mahfodz said the party had no such intention.

“The party president (Abdul Hadi Awang) has said many times that PAS would not be going solo; that is why, after we terminated our cooperation with Bersatu, we are having a new political alignment.

“So we will have an electoral pact,” he said.

‘Truly sincere’

Mahfodz added that seat negotiations are expected to involve several other Malay-based parties, including Pejuang, Putra, and Berjasa.

However, he said the final decision on any cooperation agreement, as well as the number of seats to be contested, rests with the PAS central leadership.

BN has already announced that it will contest all 56 state seats in Johor.

Mahfodz was also asked to respond to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's position that the party is not interested in reviving their Muafakat Nasional pact.

The PAS leader reiterated his response to Johor Umno Youth, saying that they are not concerned about which platform is used.

"They (Johor Umno Youth) said PAS must be sincere if we want to cooperate with Umno.

"Since Johor Umno has stated their position, I sincerely responded that we are truly sincere. What matters now is for us to reunite," he said.

Polls preparation affected

Mahfodz further acknowledged that the split with Bersatu has affected Johor PAS’ election plans.

He said the state chapter had already identified target seats and made the necessary preparations.

“We have also mobilised our machinery in full force... but with this new alignment, it’s kind of blurry now. We are in the dark,” he said.

Nevertheless, he stressed that party workers would continue their preparations while awaiting the outcome of negotiations.

The parties are expected to conclude discussions before the Election Commission (EC) announces the election dates.

The Johor state assembly was dissolved on June 1. The EC is scheduled to meet on June 12 to determine the dates for the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections.

In the 2022 Johor state election, BN secured a two-thirds majority after winning 40 of the state’s 56 seats.

Pakatan Harapan won 13 seats, while Perikatan Nasional won three.

However, the election also recorded one of the lowest voter turnouts in Johor’s history at 54.92 percent, despite the electorate expanding to more than 2.5 million voters following the implementation of Undi18 and automatic voter registration.

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