PAS works to redeem itself in Johor after Melaka wipeout

At the last state election in Melaka, PAS fielded eight candidates but failed to win even a single seat.

As the countdown continues to polling day in Johor this Saturday, the question for the Islamist party is whether it will be able to reverse its election fortunes.

PAS, along with Umno, is a major Malay party with strong influence and a heavyweight machinery. Their alliance through Muafakat Nasional (MN) won them victory after victory in the latest series of by-elections throughout the country.

But with their partnership in jeopardy, notwithstanding PAS’ protests to the contrary, the parties appear to have drifted down different paths.

Today, Umno remains with Barisan Nasional (BN) whereas PAS has chosen to stay with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) pact.

Although it was offered four seats in Johor by Umno ahead of the polls, PAS snubbed the proposition, sticking with the coalition led by Bersatu’s Muhyiddin Yassin under which it was given 15 seats.

As an undisputed veteran among Malay parties, PAS has strong grassroots support and wide sway in the states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah.

In Johor, though, it has yet to extend its sphere of influence to the same extent.

At the 14th general election, it fielded candidates in 41 state seats in Johor. Of these, it won only one – Bukit Pasir.

Its commissioner in Johor, Abdullah Husin, who contested in Tebrau, conceded defeat and lost his deposit.

But PAS appears to remain optimistic heading into the Johor election this time around.

Zarul Salleh, PN’s candidate in Simpang Jeram, said with PAS now contesting under the coalition’s banner, it would be able to rally more support compared to previous elections.

“If the people in Sabah can accept PN, why not in Johor?” he said to MalaysiaNow.

He said PAS was having trouble making headway in the BN stronghold due to voter dynamics in the state, where many voters are non-Malays. This makes it difficult for the party to claim seats in the legislative assembly even though it might succeed in winning the Malay vote.

Zarul believes that there is still room for improvement in PAS’ work with PN, saying the coalition had made inroads in Melaka despite winning only two seats.

But this will not be easy.

Analysts have said that many outstation voters will need to return for polling day in order for BN to be toppled.

There is also the question of the many young voters whose direction of support is unpredictable.

“Our concern is that they will not turn out to vote, or that they don’t care or understand about politics,” Zarul said.

“Their parents should encourage them, and their teachers and peers.”

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang recently said that people in Johor do not understand the politics of Islam.

His remarks sparked a backlash among the pro-Umno groups, especially given Johor’s comprehensive Islamic education system.

Political analyst Ahmad Atory Hussain said he was confident that PAS would be able to win at least several seats on Saturday due to a split in votes in the absence of any one dominant party.

“Melaka doesn’t have many voters – not even 200,000 – and there are only 28 state seats,” Atory, of Universiti Sains Malaysia, said.

“In Johor, there are 56 seats and more than two million voters.”

At the 14th general election, he said, the government and the opposition had won nearly equal numbers of seats.

“They might maintain their status quo, but I think it will be difficult for BN to win two-thirds or three quarters,” he added.

In a nutshell, he said, there was no one party that could be expected to win all – or lose all.

On PAS’ record in Johor, he said the Malay party was still relatively new.

“The people have started to accept PAS, but it cannot rule yet.

“There weren’t many PAS branches in Johor before this, and even PAS members were embarrassed to admit their membership.”

He said PAS’ reach in the state would also depend on the party leadership at that level, which is less influential than that of Kelantan or Terengganu.

For Zarul, acceptance is PAS’ biggest challenge in Johor.

“So it’s important that we are attentive to issues such as welfare to gain greater prominence and acceptance,” he said.