Sheikh Ibrahim, a two-time PAS assemblyman for the constituency, said this is because the party’s slogan “PAS For All”, which is friendly to non-Muslims, had lost its meaning after the death of its spiritual leader, Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

“When Nik Aziz died, the slogan died with him.

“PAS started to become extreme and today it appears even more extreme with issues related to the Malays and 3R (religion, race and royalty) being played up.

“This is clearly not suitable for Simpang Jeram.”

He said that was also the reason he quit the party and joined Amanah in 2019.

Sheikh Ibrahim, who is also Pakatan Harapan (PH) election director for Simpang Jeram, said Amanah’s journey, which started in Simpang Jeram in 2015, aligned better with the present-day realities of the constituency.

“When they can’t secure support from the Chinese community, PAS will bring up the 3R issue.

“I believe that in future, they will become even more extreme because Barisan Nasional (BN) and PH are part of a coalition that is more moderate, including the more moderate DAP.”

Sheikh Ibrahim said Perikatan Nasional’s decision to field a doctor, Dr Mazri Yahya, in Simpang Jeram and its strategy of targeting and reaching out to the sick was only a gimmick to secure votes.

“I’m a doctor and a local here. I have been serving (as a doctor) here since the 1980s. There’s a difference between serving during the campaign to attract voters and serving genuinely.”

He also said if Mazri was sincere in wanting to serve the constituency, he would have contested the seat in the 2022 Johor state polls after losing to the late Amanah deputy president, Salahuddin Ayub, in the 2018 general election.

“After losing, he disappeared,” he said.

Both the Simpang Jeram state seat and Pulai parliamentary seat by-election this Saturday will witness a three-cornered contest between PN, BN-PH and an independent candidate.

Both seats were vacated after Salahuddin died on July 23 after suffering a brain haemorrhage.