KOTA KINABALU: Pas remains undecided about its strategy for the 17th Sabah State Election, including its coalition partners in the state.
Its President Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, only hinted at the possibility of contesting the election with its allies, without naming any specific parties.
He said Pas leadership must first assess the party's strength in the state, including its machinery and support received, before deciding to contest.
If Pas contests in the state election, it needs to discuss with its allies and assess the strength of its machinery to determine the number of seats it will contest, he said.
"It depends on discussions with our allies and the strength of our machinery.
"Cooperation with other parties will also be considered; it's still under discussion," he said during a press conference at the Sabah Pas Convention here today.
Also present were Sabah Pas Commissioner Dr Aliakbar Gulasan and the Deputy Director-General of Pas Central Election Tan Sri Annuar Musa.
Abdul Hadi was asked about the party's plans for the state election, particularly the number of seats targeted and its coalition partners.
He did not rule out the possibility of cooperation with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), as well as its allies within the Perikatan Nasional (PN).
He said Pas recognised the diverse society and various religious beliefs in Sabah when planning its strategy in the state.
On the possibility of targeting three constituencies with a significant number of Pas members in Sabah — Tawau, Sandakan, and Kota Kinabalu — to contest, Abdul Hadi said this would also depend on support it has.
"We need to assess the party's support and the number of personnel available for the state election," he said.
Earlier, in his opening speech, Abdul Hadi emphasised the need for Pas to have seats in the state to represent the party's voice.Currently, Pas has one appointed state assemblyman Aliakbar, who was appointed after the last state election in September 2020, when PN was still part of the state government.
Pas had previously fielded candidates in several seats in earlier elections but has yet to win any.