PAS is cancer to Pakatan Harapan - Leave them to BN-UMNO or the 80% of Voters will punish PH at the ballot box

Despite snub, PH still open to seat talks with PAS

Saifuddin Abdullah (second from right) at the Pakatan Harapan press conference in Petaling Jaya today. The coalition has not shut the door on PAS despite the latter’s decision to contest in more than 100 parliamentary seats at the next elections. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 16, 2017.

PAKATAN Harapan is still open to seat negotiations with PAS in the next general election despite being continually shunned by the Islamist party.

“We are open to talks with all opposition parties, including PAS, that is, if PAS still considers itself an opposition party,” said PH secretariat chief Saifuddin Abdullah.

Saifuddin’s statement comes as PH reels from PAS’ decision to end ties with coalition partner PKR, threatening the stability of the Selangor government of which PAS is a part.

PAS is also insistent on building a third opposition coalition to contest about 100 parliamentary seats in GE14, making it a rival to PH and the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

PH leaders such as Bersatu chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said that PAS’ decision to form a third bloc is essentially a leg up for Barisan Nasional, whose chairman is Prime Minister Najib Razak.

History shows that BN always benefits in a contest against multiple opposition parties due to the votes for the latter two being split.

PAS was a partner to PKR and DAP in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, which disbanded in August 2015 after PAS and DAP had a falling-out.

PH component parties PKR and Bersatu have been in unofficial talks with PAS to avoid multi-candidate contests. However, PAS’ decision to sever ties with PKR and not to have any dealings with Bersatu have made the likelihood of positive results emerging from these talks doubful.

At today’s press conference, Saifuddin said the PH coalition was in talks with all opposition parties, not just PAS. These other parties include those in Sabah and Sarawak, and outfits such as Parti Socialis Malaysia in the peninsula

“PH still maintains the big picture (to avoid multi-cornered fights) and this includes all opposition parties. We are talking to them behind closed doors.

“We are still open to talks with PAS if it still considers itself an opposition party,” he said. – May 16, 2017.