KOTA KINABALU: PAS remains cautious about its strategy for the upcoming 17th Sabah State Election (PRN17), which is expected to be held next year.
The party has not revealed specific plans, including potential partnerships with other political groups.
PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang however hinted at the party’s intent to participate in the election, possibly in collaboration with allied parties, but stopped short of providing detailed plans.
Abdul Hadi stressed the need for PAS to evaluate its strength in Sabah thoroughly.
This assessment will involve scrutinising the party’s organisational capacity and gauging public support before finalising any electoral strategies.
“We need to first assess our party’s capabilities and support in Sabah before making any concrete decisions,” Abdul Hadi said.
The leadership, he added, was currently focused on understanding their position and potential alliances with further discussions expected to shape their approach as the election date approaches.
Speaking to the media after the Sabah PAS convention here on Saturday (Aug 31), he stated that if PAS decided to contest, they would need to discuss with their allies and evaluate their machinery’s strength to determine the number of seats to contest.
“It depends on discussions with our allied parties and the strength of our machinery.
“We will also consider cooperation with other parties, which is still under discussion,” he said, responding to a question about PAS’s plans for the upcoming Sabah elections, specifically regarding the number of seats targeted and potential alliances.
Also present were Sabah PAS commissioner Dr Aliakbar Gulasan, and PAS central election deputy director-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa.
Meanwhile, Abdul Hadi did not rule out the possibility of collaborating with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), in addition to their allies in Perikatan Nasional.
“PAS acknowledges the plural society and religious diversity in Sabah when planning the party’s strategy in this state,” he said.
Regarding the possibility of targeting seats in the three areas identified as having many PAS members in Sabah, namely Tawau, Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu, Abdul Hadi said it also depended on the level of support.
“We need to first assess the support for the party and the number of machinery available to work during the upcoming state election,” he said.
Earlier, in his opening speech, Abdul Hadi emphasised the need for PAS to secure seats in the state to represent the party’s voice.
Currently, PAS has one appointed assemblyman, Aliakbar, who was appointed when Perikatan was still part of the state government after the previous state polls in September 2020.
PAS has previously fielded candidates in several constituencies in past elections but has yet to win any seats.
