PAS will not contest the upcoming Johor election alone but will instead form a new political alignment following its decision to sever ties with Bersatu.
Johor PAS commissioner Datuk Ustaz Dr Mahfodz Mohamed said the alignment would involve several parties, including Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang), Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), Parti Berjasa Malaysia (Berjasa) and Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional (Iman).
He said the arrangement would take the form of an electoral pact rather than a formal coalition, citing time constraints ahead of the polls.
“This is an electoral pact and not a political coalition because setting up a coalition would take time and cannot be completed within the current timeframe.
“For this Johor election, Pas will use its own logo, while the other parties will contest under their respective logos,” he said at a press conference after chairing a Johor Pas meeting at the party’s state headquarters here last night.
Dr Mahfodz said discussions on seat allocations were still ongoing and would be finalised by Pas central leadership before Friday.
When asked whether talks had also involved Johor Barisan Nasional, he said informal discussions had taken place.
On the number of seats Pas would contest, he said no decision had been made as fresh negotiations were needed following the party’s split from Bersatu.
“Previously, under our agreement with Bersatu, PAS was initially allocated 15 seats, with several additional seats also under discussion.
“However, now that PAS central leadership has ended its cooperation with Bersatu, we will have to renegotiate the matter,” he said, adding that the latest developments had affected the party’s election preparations.
Mahfodz, who is also state Perikatan Nasional deputy chairman, did not rule out the possibility of PAS and Bersatu facing off in some constituencies. – NST
