PETALING JAYA, JUNE 22 — The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party PAS has not ruled out contesting several seats traditionally held by the Democratic Action Party DAP in the upcoming Negeri Sembilan state election on Aug 1.
Negeri Sembilan PAS chief Fairuz Isa said the party is preparing to contest more than 10 seats, similar to its strategy in the 2023 state election, while also aiming to defend the three seats it currently holds.
He said final seat allocations will depend on negotiations with other political partners, especially in the event of continued cooperation within the opposition bloc.
“There are parties willing to work with us, and during seat negotiations, we may face limited Malay-majority seats to contest,” he was quoted as saying in Seremban.
He added that PAS is considering seats currently held by Pakatan Harapan and DAP where Malay voters make up about 40% of the electorate.
Fairuz said the party’s candidate selection process is about 90% complete, with emphasis on integrity, service capability, and candidates aged below 60.
He also urged party members and machinery to respect and accept any final decision made by the leadership.
In the 2023 state election, the opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional won five of the 36 seats it contested. Within the coalition, PAS secured Paroi, Serting and Bagan Pinang, while Bersatu won Labu and Gemencheh.
The Election Commission has set Aug 1 as polling day for the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election, with nomination day on July 18 and early voting on July 28.
— MINUTESMY
