Analysts agree PAS cannot win Putrajaya on its own

Awang Azman Pawi says the party’s best chance is for it and Bersatu to team up with Umno.

(FMT) – Analysts say PAS’s best chance of taking Putrajaya lies in cooperating with Umno, along with Bersatu, as the Islamic party is aware that it cannot win over non-Malay voters.

University Malaya’s Awang Azman Pawi agreed with former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who told FMT in an interview that PAS will never be able to form the federal government on its own.

Therefore, the party led by Abdul Hadi Awang needs to seek other allies to secure more Malay seats, apart from Bersatu through Perikatan Nasional, with Umno being their best option, Awang Azman said.

“PAS is still seen holding onto hope to collaborate with Umno, together with Bersatu, to achieve its ambition of forming the federal government.

“Chinese and Indian voters support PKR, DAP and Amanah, and they are also becoming comfortable with Pakatan Harapan’s collaboration with Umno,” he told FMT.

Awang Azman said PAS also struggles to gain support from the communities in Sabah and Sarawak.

“They (the Sabah and Sarawak communities) find it difficult to accept PAS’s policies, especially since Hadi once made offensive remarks about Sarawakian Dayak voters, which the community there have found hard to forgive.

“As long as PAS is led by Hadi, Sarawak will continue to reject the party,” he said.

Yesterday, FMT reported Mahathir as saying that PAS would not be able to form a federal government on its own, given its limited popularity and strength confined to Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis.

After the 15th general election, PAS leads the opposition bloc with 43 parliamentary seats, with Bersatu holding 25, while the government is formed by a coalition of Pakatan Harapan, Barisan Nasional (Umno) and East Malaysian parties, controlling 153 seats.

Bilcher Bala from the Universiti Malaysia Sabah said PAS would face a tough challenge in capturing Putrajaya without the support of voters from Sabah and Sarawak.

He said PAS’s political ideology is not acceptable to supporters of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Gabungan Parti Sarawak.

“Thus, PAS’s dream of capturing Putrajaya is unlikely to be achieved on its own,” he said.