MUAR – Perikatan Nasional (PN) has confirmed that both Pas and Bersatu will contest the Johor state election using the coalition's logo, insisting the arrangement will not confuse voters as the two parties are not competing against one another in any constituency.
PN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said the use of a common logo was straightforward because there will be no overlap in the seats contested by Pas and Bersatu.
“Pas will use the PN logo and so will Bersatu. There will be no confusion because Pas is not contesting against Bersatu in PN seats, so there will be no overlap or direct contest,” he said after the Pas PN Candidate Announcement Ceremony for the Johor state election on Thursday.
Responding to questions over Pas fielding only 11 candidates compared with 15 in the previous state election, Samsuri said the reduction should not be interpreted negatively.
“Any party intending to contest an election will certainly make its decisions based on the current political landscape rather than that of five or four years ago.
“There are, of course, certain considerations involved and I do not think this gives any negative impression. We are contesting because we want to win the election,” he said.
He also addressed the decision not to field incumbent Bukit Pasir assemblyman Abdullah Husin for another term, describing it as a normal process within the party.
“In Pas, every incumbent understands that the position does not belong personally to anyone. Even in my own case, contesting and winning a state and parliamentary seat does not mean the seat belongs to me.
“Sometimes changes have to be made for various reasons. I do not wish to elaborate further on certain factors, including personal matters. What is important is that we are presenting new candidates to move forward,” he said.
Samsuri added that of the 11 Pas candidates announced, several had contested in previous elections, including in different constituencies, while more than half of the line-up consists of new faces.