PAS’s decision to contest only two seats in the Melaka state election has drawn criticism from its Perikatan Nasional (PN) ally Bersatu, which questioned the party’s claim that it has the strength to stand on its own.
Bersatu information chief Datuk Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz said the decision was at odds with PAS’s earlier ambition to contest as many as 16 of the state’s 28 seats.
“How a party that had repeatedly projected itself as a major political force had ended up with such a limited share of the contest,” he quipped.
Tun Faisal also aimed at PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who had often spoken about the party’s ability to go solo in elections.
He said PAS had set its sights on 16 seats after the 15th General Election (GE15), citing its perceived grassroots strength, but eventually had to scale back its demands during negotiations with coalition partners.
“PAS initially wanted to contest 16 seats. But in the end, it took only the seats left over that Umno did not want,” he said.
Tun Faisal added seven seats had initially been allocated to PAS and its allies, but one was subsequently handed to MCA while the others were distributed among coalition partners, leaving PAS with just two constituencies.
He said the final allocation raised questions about PAS’s ability to translate its claims of political strength into electoral support.
Despite nearly eight decades in politics, he said, PAS had yet to demonstrate that it could contest across the state without relying on other parties.
Bersatu defends its allocation
Meanwhile, Tun Faisal challenged PAS to contest all 28 state seats if it genuinely believed it had the strength to go it alone.
He said Bersatu would contest seven seats as part of its effort to rebuild its position in Melaka and provide a check on the state administration.
“Bersatu is not begging to survive. We stand firmly by our principles, rebuilding our strength alongside members who remain genuinely loyal,” he explained.
He also questioned whether PAS’s conservative outlook would sit comfortably with Melaka’s diverse cultural traditions, citing events such as joget lambak as an example of the cultural considerations the party would have to navigate if it sought a role in governing the state.
Under the candidate nominations on Oct 31, Bersatu was confirmed to be contesting seven seats, while PAS fielded two candidates out of PN’s total of five contested seats. – November 7, 2026
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