By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, April 18: Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) is targeting to contest Sarawak Legislative Assembly seats across five parliamentary areas in Sarawak — Petra Jaya, Batang Sadong, Batang Lupar, Bintulu and Miri — in the upcoming 13th Sarawak Election.
PAS Sarawak commissioner Arifiriazul Paijo, or commonly known as Arif Paijo, said the party is finalising which specific State constituencies it will field candidates in within those parliamentary areas.
“For instance, in Petra Jaya, there are three seats — Satok, Tupong and Samariang. We will contest one of them,” he told reporters at the party’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri gathering held at Alia Banquet Hall in Kampung Nombor here today.
However, Arif said PAS is targeting more than one State seat within the Batang Lupar parliamentary constituency which consists of Beting Maro, Sebuyau and Lingga State constituencies.
“Based on the last general election, we secured quite good and significant votes not only in Beting Maro, but also in Sebuyau and Lingga.
“We are currently exploring all possible options before making a final decision,” he added.
Arif further said that candidate selection is almost complete, with only a handful of seats yet to be finalised, and that the party’s overall contest plan will also take into account potential new constituencies.
Despite acknowledging the strength of the current State government, he said PAS will campaign on local issues and grassroots service.
“We admit it is difficult to play on State-level sentiment, so our focus will be on local issues and serving the people in the areas we contest,” he explained.
He also expressed confidence that PAS could deliver a “surprise” in the State polls, citing improved performance and stronger grassroots machinery, particularly in Beting Maro.
Meanwhile, PAS central information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said the party’s leadership is closely monitoring preparations in Sarawak, with the State election expected as early as 2027.
He described the Aidilfitri gathering as a “benchmark” of PAS Sarawak’s readiness, adding that the party will continue refining its strategy and messaging ahead of the polls
Also present was PAS Sarawak Information chief Hamdan Sani. — DayakDaily
