Amanah will avoid 3-cornered fights, says Perak leader

Newly-formed PAS splinter group Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) will avoid three-corner contests in the next general elections, said its Perak deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin. Competing with PAS would only benefit the ruling Barisan Nasional government, he said. "Amanah is formed is to fight against Umno and Barisan and not against PAS," he said during a question-and-answer session at the opening of the Bukit Gantang Amanah office-cum- Changkat Jering service centre by Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub in Jalan Taman Damai in Simpang today. He was responding to a comment by a resident at the session who said three-cornered fights such as in Bukit Gantang would only split votes and would benefit Barisan candidates the next general elections, due by the middle of 2018. The Bukit Gantan parliamentary seat and two of its state seats, Changkat Jering and Kuala Sepetang, are held by the opposition. Only the state seat of Terong is held by Barisan. "We will be discussing the allocation of seats among Pakatan Harapan coalition partners in Ipoh on October 30," said Nizar, who is also Changkat Jering assemblyman and former Perak mentri besar. Salahudin, meanwhile, said he also heard such a view and agreed that three-cornered fights would not benefit the opposition. "We are in the midst of doing a study on this matter," he said, adding that it would be futile for Amanah to contest in every seat. The issue of three-cornered fights is pertinent for Amanah, as PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said previously that PAS was willing to contest in DAP-held seats during the next general election. PAS and DAP no longer have ties with each other after a falling out that led to the collapse of Pakatan Rakyat in June. Hadi had also been upset with Amanah's move to recruit PAS members, likening it to fishing in a pond that belonged to PAS. Meanwhile religious teacher Salmah Abas, a former PAS member of the Larut Tin branch who attended the opening ceremony today, said she decided to join Amanah as some PAS branch officials had become autocratic and could not take suggestions. "When Umno members came to our PAS kenduri or open house, they get a tongue lashing but as Muslims, we are supposed to welcome them and moreover, they may one day become opposition supporters," said Salmah who came with her husband, Fahmi Ahmad. Fahmi, a former Larut Tin PAS branch treasurer, also joined Amanah. "They simply cannot take suggestions for when you do that, they assume you want to take over their post," she told The Malaysian Insider. – October 24, 2015.]]>