Selangor PAS: No seat discussions with PKR if political cooperation ended

(The Star) – PAS will not hold any negotiations on seat allocations in Selangor for the 14th general election should the Syura council ultimately seal the decision to cut ties with PKR.

Newly-appointed Selangor PAS Commissioner Sallehen Mukhyi said the Islamist party would then be free to determine which seats it wants to contest without prior discussions with other parties.

“It all depends on the final decision of the Syura council. If we split, then there will be no discussion on seat allocations and the areas we plan to contest.

“There will not be any kind of consensus where political cooperation is concerned,” he told reporters after chairing the Selangor PAS liaison committee meeting here Tuesday night.

It was previously reported that PAS was looking to contest 45 seats in the 56-seat state assembly come election time.

Sallehen reiterated that whatever the decision of the Syura council, PAS would continue to remain in the state government as it was required to fulfil the mandate given by the people.

“We will remain in the state government because the PAS representatives in the current government have been chosen by the people.

“Therefore, it will only end when the mandate is fulfilled and the state assembly is dissolved,” he said, adding that the Islamist party had no qualms working together with the likes of DAP in the state government if it pertained to issues affecting the rakyat.

Asked if Selangor PAS would accept Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s invitation to discuss their political future, Sallehen said that PAS was always ready to extend a hand towards achieving unity.

“The context right now is that we wish to push ahead with our third bloc, and are willing to extend a hand to anyone….so long as that in doing so, our respective interests are protected,” he added.

Sallehen, who is Sabak assemblyman, takes over as PAS Commissioner of the state from Chempaka assemblyman Datuk Iskandar Samad.

He said this was because Iskandar, who was re-elected as PAS vice-president at the party’s recent muktamar in Alor Setar, had been entrusted with the bigger responsibility of helping the party make inroads in Negri Sembilan, Melaka, and Johor.