A PAS Youth leader has warned Gerakan against laying claim to the Seberang Jaya state seat after the party’s Permatang Pauh division approved a motion calling for Gerakan to contest the seat in the next Penang state election.
Permatang Pauh PAS Youth chief Aiman Shamsul Bahrin said Seberang Jaya was a Malay-majority seat and had previously been won by Bersatu.
He said both factors should be given serious consideration to ensure a victory for Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Aiman added that Gerakan’s move to contest Seberang Jaya went against the spirit of cooperation among PN component parties.
PAS Youth urges Gerakan to focus elsewhere
“Gerakan would be better off strengthening its efforts in areas with a larger non-Malay electorate and building its influence and grassroots support in those areas.
“Don’t target seats that were won by your allies,” he said in a statement.
Aiman also warned that the motion passed by the Gerakan division could create the perception that there were efforts to trigger internal competition and division within PN.
“At a time when people want a strong opposition coalition, component parties should strengthen cooperation instead of allowing room for internal conflicts,” he said.
Bayan Lepas defeat cited as a lesson
Aiman said PN should learn from its decision to field Gerakan president Dominic Lau in the Malay-majority Bayan Lepas seat during the last state election.
Lau, who was also the PN deputy chairman, lost the seat to Amanah’s Azrul Mahathir Aziz.
“Conflict among ourselves in areas with winning potential will only benefit Pakatan Harapan,” Aiman added.
Seberang Jaya is one of three state seats under the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency, which is currently represented by PAS’s Fawwaz Jan.
The current Seberang Jaya assemblyman is Izhar Shah Arif Shah of Bersatu, although the fallout between Bersatu and PAS is likely to lead to a contest for Bersatu-held seats.
