PAS members discreetly helping Bersatu in Johor, says Redzuan

PETALING JAYA: PAS’s election machinery is discreetly campaigning for the 16 Bersatu candidates ahead of the July 11 polls in Johor, despite the decision by the Islamic party’s central leadership not to support its Perikatan Nasional (PN) partner.

Bersatu co-founder Redzuan Yusof said he personally observed that cooperation between both parties at the grassroots level remained intact during the first week of campaigning.

Redzuan also said PAS’s rank and file were puzzled by their party leadership’s decision not to help Bersatu despite their oft-repeated call to “unite the ummah”, Utusan Malaysia reported.

“If it’s said that PAS’s machinery is not helping Bersatu in Johor, that’s not true. They are definitely present, quietly campaigning for Bersatu candidates.

“Most of them are puzzled by the PAS leadership’s approach; how they say they want to unite the ummah but refuse to cooperate with or help Bersatu in Johor,” he was quoted as saying.

Redzuan added that Bersatu has also been helping PAS’s 11 candidates in their election campaign.

The former Alor Gajah MP expects such grassroots cooperation to continue until polling day to help PN secure more seats on July 11.

PAS ended its political cooperation with Bersatu last month, although both parties remain PN components and are contesting the Johor election under the coalition’s banner.

PN is contesting 33 seats in the state polls, with Bersatu vying for 16, PAS 11, the Malaysian Indian People’s Party five, and Pejuang one.

PAS recently ordered its election machinery not to campaign for Bersatu in the Johor election, instructing it to focus instead on seats contested by the Islamic party and other PN components.