Non-Muslim Pas expecting nine seats

KUALA LUMPUR: Pas is expected to negotiate with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) on allocating a few state and parliamentary seats for Pas' non-Muslim members to contest in the next general election.

The non-Muslim Pas Supporters Congress president Hu Pang Chow told The Mole: "I was told by the party leadership that they are negotiating this with PKR leaders."

Hu did not reveal the number of seats being negotiated with PKR to be given to the Supporters Congress.

However, Hu said, in total, the Supporters Congress expects to be given about seven state and two parliamentary seats for its non-Muslim members to contest. 

He said: “We expect to be given two or even three state seats in Perak, another two or three in Kedah and two in Johor."

He said, apart from the seven state seats, the congress is also expecting to be allocated two parliamentary seats, one of which will be in Selangor and another that have yet to be determined.

Prior to this, Pas secretary general Datuk Mustafa Ali announced the party will field non-Muslim candidates in the next elections.

Mustafa Ali Mustafa had then said Pas will field candidates from the Supporters Congress in Johor, Penang, Selangor, Sabah and Sarawak where there is a huge non-Muslim population.

However Kelantan Pas deputy commissioner Datuk Husam Musa and his Kedah counterpart Datuk Phahrolrazi Zawawi said they will not field non-Muslim candidates in the next election because the majority of their electorates are made up of Muslims.

Hu had then responded by stating that Pas should be looking for ‘winnable’ candidates instead of emphasising on ‘Muslim candidates'.

Meanwhile, Hu also said for the congress to ask Pas for seats "will be of no value" as it was the responsibility of Pas to keep their words that it will allocate seats for the Supporters Congress.

He is confident that this time around more non-Muslim candidates will be fielded in the elections.

“Pas made history in 2008 when they fielded a first ever Indian candidate (Kumutha Raman) to contest the Ulu Tiram state seat in Johor.’’

“Now they are planning to field another non-Muslim candidate to contest in the Sibuti parliamentary seat in Sarawak.''

Pas Sarawak commissioner Adam Ahid in a Malaysia Chronicle report confirmed the party had shortlisted an Iban candidate to contest in Sibuti.

Former Penang Pas Supporters Congress chief Ooi Ah Looi @ Vellautham left the party after 20 years because he does not believe the party will field non-Muslim candidates in the next elections.

Blogger Outsyed the box said the congress needs to take cue from Ooi’s departure from the party as they have been taken for a ride by Pas. 

Source: MOLE