Pakatan Harapan and PAS should not fall into the trap of battling against each other in the upcoming by-elections, Amanah’s Kuala Terengganu MP Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad said.

He said this should be the lesson from the May 7 Sarawak election, which saw Pakatan Harapan parties DAP and PKR clashing in six seats and PAS and Pakatan Harapan in 11 seats.

Three-cornered fights are also a trap set by BN, he said, as evident by the fact that Umno supreme council member Nazri Abdul Aziz encourages PAS to contest Kuala Kangsar so as to clash with Pakatan Harapan.

“The Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections are critical in the run-up to the 14th general election…

“Why should we fall into this trap which has clearly been laid by our enemy, if we are serious about bringing change for the people?

“What value will it have for the opposition to walk into trap after trap? Is it just to show that we are strong, when in reality, the Sarawak election results were pitiful,” he said in a statement.

He said the turnout of less than 50 percent by mid-afternoon also showed the electorate’s distaste for opposition in-fighting.

He said this should be enough to convince Pakatan Harapan and PAS to “set aside egos”.

He added that the non-BN parties all need each other, and should heed the example of Prophet Muhammad who formed alliances to face his enemies.

“If each party is too preoccupied with proving its might, then confusion will continue to reign among the people.

“Only God is supreme and perfect, and we are all his beings. The sooner we come to realise this and set aside our delusions of grandeur, the better for the people,” he said.

Marginal victories

The Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar parliamentary seats fell vacant after its incumbents Wan Mohammad Khairil Anuar Wan Ahmad and Noriah Kasnon died in a helicopter crash while campaigning in Sarawak.

PAS said it will contest both by-elections, while Amanah will decide on May 15.

PKR said it is “ever-ready” for the by-elections, but refused to say if it will field candidates.

In 2013, BN won Sungai Besar by a thin majority of 399 votes – or 49.6 percent of votes cast – against PAS, garnering a narrow 49.6 percent of vote share.

The ruling coalition won against PAS in Kuala Kangsar with 50.4 percent of the votes.

Both constituencies are Malay-majority areas, traditionally contested by PAS and Umno.