Monday, October 1, 2007

PAS' target of 40 parliamentary seats is merely a dream

JELI, Aug 10 (Bernama) - Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said PAS' hopes of winning 40 parliamentary seats throughout the country is merely a dream which is impossible to achieve.

He said that looking at the latest political scenario, it would be difficult for PAS to maintain its position after the party's defeat in Terengganu in the 2004 election.

Muhyiddin, who is also the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister, said the people of Terengganu themselves had rejected the PAS-led state government after only one term when they voted for the Barisan Nasional (BN) to administer the state under the leadership of Menteri Besar Datuk Idris Jusoh in the 2004 general election. PAS wrested power in Terengganu in the 1999 general election.

"In fact, if we look at the PAS situation in Kelantan now, it is also shaky as they only hold 27 State Legislative Assembly seats while the BN has 26," he told reporters after opening the delegates meeting of the Jeli Umno division, here Friday.

He was commenting on the Bernama report yesterday which quoted PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa as saying that PAS was now focusing on winning at least 40 parliamentary seats throughout the country in the next general election to strengthen the party's position in the Dewan Rakyat. Husam had said that PAS could make significant contribution if they could win 40 parliamentary seats and the party was capable of springing a surprise in the coming election based on its strength especially in Kelantan, Perak, Kedah and Perlis.

In the 2004 general election, PAS retained only seven out of the 27 parliamentary seats it had won in the 1999 general election.

Muhyiddin said based on the PAS situation now, it was impossible for the party to win outside Kelantan as its position in its own state had yet to be strengthened.

The minister said PAS could say anything they wanted but for the BN, the chances of PAS winning outside Kelantan were remote.

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