‘No need to test us’: PAS rules out early Terengganu polls

There is no need for Terengganu to hold a state election at this time as the state government is stable and performing well, says PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.

Tuan Ibrahim said elections are not to be used as testing grounds, or a tool for measuring the sincerity of political cooperation.

“As long as there is no urgent need, the people should not be burdened with the political pressure and costs of facing a state election,” he said

He was responding to a proposal by Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan for an election in PAS-led Terengganu as proof the Islamic party is sincere about Malay unity.

In a statement, Tuan Ibrahim said state elections should only be held when the current term had ended, or there was a compelling reason to do so.

He said it would be better to dissolve Parliament and seek a fresh national mandate instead, adding that Perikatan Nasional had instructed its election machinery to prepare for any eventuality.

At the Umno general assembly yesterday, Mohamad, better known as Tok Mat, said if Umno and PAS could agree on a formula for seat negotiations in Terengganu, a similar approach could be adopted for the next general election.

Umno was wiped out in the 2023 Terengganu state election, when it failed to win any of the 27 seats contested.

PN made a clean sweep of all 32 seats – PAS with 27 and Bersatu five – leaving Terengganu without an opposition for the first time.

Umno and PAS formed an electoral pact for last month’s Negeri Sembilan state election, and won 26 of the 36 seats.

Barisan Nasional and PN seemed poised to continue their alliance in the coming Melaka polls.

However, this appeared to have reached an impasse after BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamdi said the coalition wanted to contest all the 21 seats it won in 2021, while PN contended that negotiations were still being held.

Melaka has 28 state seats. In 2021, Pakatan Harapan won five, and PN two.

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