PAS: We’re still better than Amanah

SUNGAI BESAR: PAS has conceded defeat in the Sungai Besar by-election but insisted it still has the support of the people over breakaway party Amanah.

PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the votes it garnered showed that the people were not easily influenced by any smear campaign against the party.

“We have got rid of all sorts of perception that we are backward or that we have a bleak future now that we are alone,” he told the party machinery during a final address at the PAS operations centre yesterday.

He said the Syariah Bill that the party sought to amend to expand the jurisdiction of the Syariah courts failed to gain traction among the Chinese voters.

This was based on early results, which showed voters had mostly swung to Barisan over Amanah which is backed by DAP.

“This shows that the intentions of the Bill was deliberately manipula­ted to scare the Chinese,” he said.

PAS election director Datuk Iskandar Samad urged the party to “take the defeat as a lesson”.

Unlike Tuan Ibrahim, Iskandar believes the Islamist party cannot stand on its own and needs political partners to face the next general election, expected by August 2018.

“We need to expand our bloc. Not only do we need to maintain our relationship with Ikatan, we need support from other parties too, especially in Selangor,” he said, referring to Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia.

“It is true that no party can be alone. We need to think about this formula. We used to have partners and now we need to move forward with others,” he said.

PAS candidate Dr Abdul Rani Osman admitted that it was difficult for the party to win in the by-election.

“Whatever the decision, I have done my best,” he said and insisted that Amanah was responsible for splitting the votes.