KUALA LUMPUR (April 18): PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang will not defend his Rhu Rendang state seat in Terengganu in the May 9 general election, a party official said today.  

Hadi has held the Rhu Rendang seat for seven consecutive terms since the 1986 general election.

“The president will only contest at the parliament level,” party secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan told a press conference, adding that deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man and he himself would only contest parliamentary seats. 

Takiyuddin, however, declined to confirm if Hadi will defend his Marang parliamentary seat in Terengganu. 

“Let’s wait until tomorrow, when we will announce the candidates for all states, except Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak,” he said. 

Takiyuddin said only about 10 PAS candidates are expected to contest both parliamentary and state seats this time. 

The secretary-general, who is the incumbent member of parliament for Kota Bharu, said he would contest the seat for a second time at the party’s request. 

He is expected to face Husam Musa, the vice-president of the breakaway Parti Amanah Negara. Husam had previously served as PAS vice-president from 2011 to 2015. 

Takiyuddin said PAS and other component parties of the loose coalition Gagasan Sejahtera, along with other “PAS-friendly” parties, will contest in no less than 160 parliamentary seats. 

Each candidate under Gagasan Sejahtera will also be required to undertake a declaration of oath, prior to the announcement of the candidate list, Takiyuddin said. 

“The declaration of oath is legally binding, whereby they must step down as the representative if they quit or are sacked from the party,” he added.

“We can choose to take action, or not to do so, just like in the past,” he said, referring to the mass defection of PAS members into Amanah in 2015.

“Most importantly, it is the integrity of the individual that will be questioned by the public, should you break your oath with the party,” Takiyuddin said.

Gagasan Sejahtera consists of PAS, Malaysia National Alliance Party (Ikatan) and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Front (Berjasa) — all of which will be using the PAS logo in GE14, he said. 

“Our friendly parties, meanwhile, will contest using their own logo, but they will be assisted by our machinery and we will move together during the election campaign,” Takiyuddin added.