ALOR SETAR: The unity of the ummah will be affected, leading to members of Muafakat Nasional and Perikatan Nasional fighting each other, if Umno insists on going solo in the 15th General Election (GE15), says PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.
He said both Muafakat and Perikatan would lose many parliamentary and state seats if there was more than three-cornered fights.
“We need to sit together and discuss ways to avoid a face-off with each other. Otherwise, these seats will be won by Pakatan Harapan.
“If that happens, both Muafakat and Perikatan will lose and this is not good for the ummah,” he told a press conference after officiating the party’s Wanita wing muktamar at Dewan Al-Hana in Sik here yesterday.
Muafakat is a political pact formed between PAS and Umno against the then-Pakatan government that came into power after the 2018 general election.
Tuan Ibrahim also reiterated his stance that Muafakat still exists, adding that no one has wanted to dissolve it although some Umno leaders are ready to face off against PAS in GE15.
“It is important to protect the pact as it is a platform to unite the ummah.
“Even if Muafakat cannot work as a political platform, it can be a coalition that protects the interest of Malays and Islam.
“However, the Perikatan and PAS election machinery is always ready for any scenario or situation,” said the Kubang Kerian MP.
Earlier, Tuan Ibrahim said the party was considering fielding more women candidates in the election.
He said the Islamist party realised the need for a 30% quota for women candidates as half of its voters were women.
“We will consider the request by the party’s Wanita wing to have more women candidates.
“The proposed names by the Wanita wing will be scrutinised along with other proposed names from various wings before a decision is made by the party leadership.”
He said the party would also discuss the matter of women’s candidacy at state level.
In her speech earlier, PAS Wanita chief Nuridah Mohd Salleh said the wing had lined up capable candidates for consideration.