State polls: Pas to field 30 per cent new faces

KUALA TERENGGANU - Pas will field 30 per cent new faces as candidates for the upcoming state polls in six states on Aug 12.

Its secretary-General, Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, said this includes female candidates who are also listed to contest in all the involved states.

"The negotiations for seat allocation with the component parties have been concluded, and we are now in the stage of finalising the candidates for the seats to be contested.

"We have examined each list of candidates submitted; some have put forward two or three candidates for one seat, and it will be finalised before the candidate nomination day on July 29.

"The majority of the candidates, or 70 per cent will be familiar faces, and there will also be new faces, including female candidates," he said when met by reporters after attending the Pas Central Committee meeting here on Saturday.

Takiyuddin said the candidate lists will also undergo screening by the Majlis Syura Ulama and meet the set criteria before they are finalised.

Previously, Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the coalition would contest 245 seats in the upcoming state elections.

Out of that number, 83 seats will be contested by Bersatu, 126 by Pas, and 36 by Gerakan.

Meanwhile, Takiyuddin added that the party's machinery is now fully prepared to ensure smooth operations throughout the campaign period and polling day.

"In terms of state election preparation, the six states are prepared to face the polls.

"We will merge the Pas election machinery with the Bersatu and Gerakan as we are working together under PN," he said.

The Election Commission (EC) recently set the polling day for state elections in the six states, namely Terengganu, Kelantan, Kedah, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, and Pulau Pinang, to be held simultaneously on August 12.

The candidate nomination day is on July 29, and early voting will take place on August 8.