KOTA KINABALU – Sabah PAS remains hopeful of contesting in the 15th general election (GE15) as it is still a prominent component of the state-level Perikatan Nasional (PN) and occupies one of its four deputy chief positions.
Its fellow component Bersatu is a member of the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) which forms the state government in Sabah.
PN is a coalition that began in Peninsular Malaysia but now also includes Sabah Star, SAPP and Gerakan.
Sabah PAS chief Mohd Aminuddin Aling, when answering The Vibes on whether Sabah Bersatu ever offered to collaborate in facing the election, said: “In (Sabah) PN, the chief minister is the chairman and four heads of (other) parties are the deputies”.
Aminuddin’s answer indicated that Sabah PAS believes it will be facing the election under PN, together with Sabah Bersatu, Gerakan, Sabah Star, and SAPP.
However, it is clear the current arrangement between Sabah Bersatu is with GRS which is still in the midst of finalising its candidates' list with other component parties.
GRS comprises Sabah Bersatu, Sabah Star, SAPP, Usno, and PBS while the alliance will also work with Barisan Nasional, which PAS is also not a part of.
Sabah PAS contested three parliamentary seats in the state in the last general election in 2018 – Silam, Tawau, and Kalabakan – all on Sabah’s east coast, and lost all the contests.
Sabah PAS will likely field candidates in the election and the seat will be announced by the party’s central leaders soon.
Aminuddin said though people in Sabah have criticised and accused PAS of being “extreme Muslims”, its first nominated assemblyman Aliakbar Gulasan, appointed in 2020, has proven that the people are more accepting of PAS.
Meanwhile, Sabah PAS Information Chief Ahmad Dullah said that the party has been prepared with its election machinery to face the election.
“If PAS at the central level allows Sabah PAS to contest in the state, we are more than ready,” he added. – The Vibes, October 22, 2022
