KOTA KINABALU: Sabah PAS has announced its intention to contest in the 17th state election, although the party has yet to finalise political cooperation with other parties ahead of the polls.
Its chief, Datuk Dr Aliakbar Gulasan, said that although Pas is aligned with Perikatan Nasional at the federal level, the party has yet to decide on potential cooperation with other parties or under which party logo it will contest.
As for the state election, he said Pas would take a realistic approach by fielding candidates in constituencies where it enjoys strong grassroots support.
“Sabah now has more than 20,000 members. Among the areas with the highest number of members are Sepanggar, Tawau, and Putatan.
“Pas is being realistic. We are not aiming to field many candidates. However, with our membership strength, we believewe can assist our political partners in the constituencies we contest.
“I think you journalists can guess some of them. Karambunai could be among our targets,” said the appointed assemblyman when met at the Sabah Pas Hari Raya open house in Sepanggar.
Last year, Sabah Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) secretary-general Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun stated that Sabah PAS members would not be included in GRS’s seat allocation for the upcoming elections.
“I agree with other political leaders that no single party can stand alone. Everyone is seeking alliances or coalitions now. I believe that’s the best path for Sabah.
“In Sabah, we still need unity. A single party trying to develop Sabah on its own would face difficulty, it might lead to conflict or clashes.
“Forming a coalition first is a sign of early unity before developing Sabah.”
When asked about public acceptance of Pas in Sabah, he acknowledged that there is still prejudice against the party.
Aliakbar’s appointment to the state legislative assembly as a nominated assemblyman in 2018 had also drawn public criticism.
At the time, the GRS-led government was part of PN until 2020, when its chief, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, and other leaders left the coalition.
“I admit there are still negative sentiments about Pas.
“But I hope the public can view the candidates we present without prejudice. We’re doing our best to serve the people.”
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
