PKR leader Sim Tze Tzin said PAS does not need to secure 112 parliamentary seats to form the next federal government, responding to concerns that declining support among Chinese voters could pave the way for the Islamic party to gain power.
In a Facebook post, Sim argued that PAS only needed to consolidate support from conservative voters to strengthen its position in the coming general election.
Sim outlines possible election scenario
According to Sim, one possible outcome would see PAS-Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) each winning 71 parliamentary seats, while Barisan Nasional (BN) secures 23 seats.
He said Malaysia’s current political landscape is largely shaped by competition between two broad groups of voters, namely conservatives and progressives.
Sim explained that the conservative bloc generally comprises religiously inclined voters from both rural and urban areas, while progressive voters are concentrated mainly in urban and multiracial constituencies.
Split progressive vote may benefit PAS
The Bayan Baru MP said progressive votes in the next general election could be divided among PH, BN and third-force parties such as Muda, Bersama and Warisan.
He added that conservative voters are generally expected to continue backing PAS and are likely to turn out regardless of circumstances, enabling the party to win more than 71 seats nationwide.
‘The split among progressive voters will likely benefit PAS.
‘PAS does not need to win 112 seats to form the next government. It just needs to emerge as the biggest bloc.’
Comments follow concerns over voter participation
Sim’s remarks came a day after former MCA president Chua Soi Lek said PAS could come to power ‘by default’ if Chinese voters boycott elections or cast spoiled ballots.
Speaking previously, Chua noted that Malaysia has 222 parliamentary seats and that controlling the federal government requires either cooperation with other parties or obtaining the 112-seat majority.
He also said the issue was being quietly debated among Chinese voters, with some PH leaders warning that PAS could take Putrajaya if voters fail to support the coalition.
