PAS to contest more than 10 seats in Sarawak state election

PAS intends to contest in more than 10 constituencies in the coming Sarawak state election, the party's Youth chief Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz said.

He said they were for the seats of Tanjung Datu, Muara Tuang, Sadong Jaya, Sebuyau, Beting Maro and Belawei, while the remaining seats were still being discussed with the Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

PAS would contest in more seats in the coming election, compared with in previous years, because the party is confident of getting the people's support, he added.

He said this was despite the split in Pakatan Rakyat and the setting up of Gabungan Harapan Baru (GHB) or the New Hope Movement.

"From one aspect, it is a challenge, but on the positive side, we can use this opportunity to introduce PAS as an independent party, with no ties with DAP and PKR like when in Pakatan Rakyat," he told a media conference after launching the PAS Youth election machinery at a hotel here late Saturday.

Nik Abduh said based on a study conducted by the party in Sarawak, there would be more challenges for the opposition in the coming state election.

In the last State Election, PAS contested in five constituencies, but failed to win any seat, despite being in Sarawak for 20 years.

GHB, led by former PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, is reported will be set up next month to reunite the opposition parties following a decision by PAS and DAP to severe their political cooperation.

The movement was reported to have said that it had identified candidates to be fielded in the Sarawak state election.