PAS is in talks with Umno for the Negeri Sembilan polls rather than working on strategies with its Perikatan Nasional (PN) partners, a Bersatu leader said, further underscoring the rift between the two parties.
The Bersatu supreme council member claimed that PAS, which holds the PN chairmanship, plans to make way for Barisan Nasional (BN) in several key seats as a precursor to a pact after the polls.
He drew a parallel between this and the Johor election where PAS is vying for only 11 seats under the PN banner, where its supporters have been ordered to back BN in constituencies not contested by PN.
The Bersatu man complained that PAS has been dragging its feet on the coalition’s preparations for the Aug 1 Negeri Sembilan polls, when nominations are just around the corner on July 18.
“Till today, the PN chairman (Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar) hasn’t called for a meeting (to discuss the state election). We don’t even have a Negeri Sembilan PN chief,” he told FMT.
“No preparations have been made whatsoever. We haven’t even discussed seat allocation,” he added.
The Bersatu man said it appeared that the Islamic party had taken the PN chairmanship just so that it could cut deals with Umno–BN rather than take steps to strengthen the opposition coalition.
FMT has reached out to PAS for comment.
A total of 36 seats are up for grabs in the Negeri Sembilan state election.
PAS ended its political cooperation with Bersatu in June after months of heightened tensions between them. However, both parties are contesting in the Johor polls under the PN banner, though they are campaigning separately.
Pakatan Harapan leaders have claimed that PAS and Umno have a tacit understanding to cooperate after the polls, but leaders from both parties have denied the allegation.
Nonetheless, two days ago, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said the Islamic party will back BN to form the Johor government should the coalition fail to attain a simple majority.
