SHAH ALAM: PAS will contest all state and parliamentary seats in Kelantan in the 14th general election (GE14), Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakob said today.
“It (PAS’ candidature) must be 100% in Kelantan,” the party’s deputy spiritual leader told reporters after a buka puasa event at Taman TTDI Jaya here.
In the last general election in May 2013, PAS contested in the state by cooperating with PKR, a fellow component party in Pakatan Rakyat before the coalition came to an end in June 2015.
The political scenario has since changed as numerous PAS members have left the party to form splinter group Amanah, a component in the current opposition pact Pakatan Harapan. Formed in September 2015, the coalition also comprises PKR, DAP and PPBM.
PAS also ended its “tahaluf siyasi” (political cooperation) with PKR on May 11 this year when its syura council endorsed the decision of its muktamar (general assembly) to sever ties with the party.
PAS has ruled Kelantan since 1990 when it won the state in cooperation with the now-defunct Semangat 46.
On the Pujut state by-election in Sarawak, Ahmad said the PAS central committee would determine whether the party will run there.
He added that the party leadership had not come to any decision on its candidate should PAS contest the seat.
“At this stage, we have not made any decision. The central committee has not met yet either (since the by-election was announced),” he said.
Nominations have been scheduled for June 20 with polling to take place on July 4.
The seat became vacant after DAP’s Dr Ting Tiong Choon was removed as assemblyman by the Sarawak state assembly on May 12 for allegedly having Australian citizenship in the past.
Meanwhile, on the health of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, Ahmad said the Marang MP’s condition was improving.
He said Hadi is expected to be discharged from the National Heart Institute within a week or two.
“God willing, in a week or two he will be out,” Ahmad said.