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Awang Azman Pawi pointed out that PAS’s official newspaper Harakah Daily has been publishing articles urging the Islamist party to contest in the by-election.
(FMT) – The bitter fight between PAS and Bersatu for the Ngiri state by-election shows cracks in the relationship between the two main parties in the Perikatan Nasional coalition, an analyst said.
Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said both opposition parties appeared to be seeking to flex their muscles, especially given the huge attention the by-election attracted.
He pointed out that PAS’s official newspaper, Harakah Daily, has been publishing articles urging PN to allow the party to contest the by-election, with one of the articles quoting PAS women’s wing chairperson Nuri Datuk Seri Mohamed Salleh.
“I believe they want to show that it is PAS and not Bersatu that can bring them electoral victory, especially in Kelantan,” he told FMT.
He said if PN decided to field a Bersatu candidate, the coalition must ensure that it retains the confidence of PAS supporters, especially those who may be worried about the emergence of another successor in the footsteps of Aziz Abu Naim, the Nigiri assemblyman.
Aziz, who is also the Gua Musang MP, is one of six former Bersatu MPs who have pledged their support to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Gua Musang PAS president Azman Ahmad has submitted a list of three candidates to the state leadership to stand as candidates for the Nigiri constituency, despite Perikatan Nasional and Bersatu chairman Muhyiddin Yassin previously saying that PAS would contest the by-election.
However, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim confirmed yesterday that Bersatu will contest as “the seat belongs to Bersatu”.
Azman responded that the PAS division would not boycott the by-election and the three names submitted were merely a proposal.
Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said PAS had more reason to contest the Nigiri seat given Bersatu’s defeat in the Kuala Kubu Baru by-election and its failure to rein in seven “rogue” elected representatives.
He pointed out that Bersatu won the Ninggiri constituency by a narrow margin of 810 votes in the Kelantan state election in August last year, thanks to supporters of PAS.
Azmi said PAS was also encouraged by its success in retaining the Sungai Bakap state seat in last weekend’s by-election with a commanding margin of 4,267 votes.
Nyangiri voters will go to the polls on August 17, with nominations set for August 3. The seat was declared vacant after Aziz ceased to be a member of Bersatu.
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