PAS to field non-Muslim candidates in Sarawak elections

PAS will field non-Muslim candidates for the 11th state election expected to be held early next year in a bid to make inroads into Sarawak politics.

Party deputy president, Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man confirmed that it would be the first time in the party's history since it set foot in Sarawak 19 years that it would have non Muslim candidates for the state election.

"We have identified the candidates but we will reveal it later once the time is right," he told a news conference here Saturday.

Tuan Ibrahim said the main reason it decided to have non Muslim candidates was to correct the perception that the party was meant only for the Muslim community in the state.

"We have supporters from Non-Muslim PAS Supporters Congress (Dewan Himpunan Penyokong PAS), we are confident of getting their support here in the state," he said.

He said fielding non Muslim candidates were not a new thing for the party in the peninsula as the party has fielded representing PAS since 2008.

For the record Pas made history in the 2008 general election when it fielded a first ever Indian candidate, Kumutha Raman, a law graduate, to contest the Ulu Tiram state seat in Johor.

the PAS Sarawak convention that was held today, he said, the main agenda was to prepare for the state election.

In the last state election in 2011, PAS contested and lost in all the five seats it contested and until today it had failed to win any seats at parliamentary or state level.

So far PAS has confirmed contesting Tanjung Datu, Muara Tuang, Sadong Jaya, Sebuyau, Beting Maro and Belawai state seats.