KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says that Pas will never be able to form the federal government on its own because of its limited popularity.

According to Mahathir, Pas can only win votes in states such as Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and Perlis.

"That's not enough," said Mahathir, who serves as an unofficial adviser to the four PAS-led state governments, in an interview with FMT.

He added that even though Pas secured more than 40 parliamentary seats in the 2022 general election, it "is not enough to form the government."

He said that Pas must collaborate with others.

"If Pas aims to govern, it needs about 80 additional seats to achieve a simple majority of 112 in the Dewan Rakyat. These 80 seats would come from the west coast, where support for PAS is lacking," he explained.

"So, Pas cannot govern the country on its own; it must work with non-Malays and Malays who are not Pas members or supporters."

Mahathir further expressed that Pas would face challenges in securing a majority in the Dewan Rakyat, even with Umno's dwindling support among Malay voters and Bersatu's issues, including corruption cases and defections.

Currently, Pas holds 43 parliamentary seats, while Bersatu has 25, positioning them as the opposition.

Meanwhile, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, formed through a coalition with Barisan Nasional and East Malaysia parties, controls 153 seats.

Discussing Umno, which he led for 22 years until 2003, Mahathir said that the party had been "corrupted" by Najib Razak, and those remaining are there "because of the money."

"They find that being an elected representative provides income and business opportunities. They are making money for themselves, not running the government," he said.

Najib, who became Umno president in 2009, is serving a 12-year jail sentence on corruption charges related to the 1MDB financial scandal. The sentence has since been reduced to six years. 

https://www.nst.com.my/news/politics/2024/06/1069864/mahathir-pas-cant-rule-malaysia-without-west-coast-support