PAS: We’re ready with ‘alternatives’ if PKR ties end

Party secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan says 'we know what we are doing' in response to reports that PAS stands to lose the most in three-cornered fights.

Party secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan

KUALA LUMPUR: PAS has devised its own plan on how to pursue its political progress in the country if the party’s leadership decides to sever ties with PKR, its secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said today.

The Kota Bharu MP said as an experienced organisation, PAS has always borne in mind the various possibilities and options it has in deciding on every political step.

“We will certainly have a plan. Our party has been in existence for 66 years and even has its own analysis centre,” he said after chairing a PAS working committee meeting at the party’s headquarters here.

“We always have various plans and alternatives,” he said, adding that the party’s political moves are decided on after much research and thought.
He was commenting on reports of analysts predicting that PAS would be the biggest loser in three-cornered fights in the next general election (GE14) if the Islamist party ends its cooperation with PKR.

A recent survey by Invoke Malaysia concluded that PAS would receive the lowest support from Malay voters in three-cornered fights.
Political analyst Cheah See Kian was also recently quoted by The Sun as saying that by cutting ties with PKR, PAS may find it tough to win even 10 parliamentary seats in GE14, let alone repeat its achievement of winning 21 seats as it did in the last general election of May 2013.

Takiyuddin dismissed such forecasts as mere assumptions.

“Anybody can make suppositions and analyses, but we know what we are doing,” he said.
On April 30, the PAS muktamar (general assembly) voted unanimously to terminate the “tahaluf siyasi” (political cooperation) after its leaders accused PKR of working with PAS splinter Amanah.
They took exception to PKR showing visible support for Amanah during the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections in June last year when both PAS and Amanah lost to Barisan Nasional (BN).
All eyes are now on the PAS Syura Council which is expected to endorse the decision of the muktamar.