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PAS in dilemma over backing UMNO’s bid to redraw electoral limits

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s Islamist party, Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), is in a bind over whether to support the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in Parliament to allow the redrawing of electoral boundaries or to stick by its allies in the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition who oppose the exercise.

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s Islamist party, Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), is in a bind over whether to support the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in Parliament to allow the redrawing of electoral boundaries or to stick by its allies in the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition who oppose the exercise.

The BN and its largest party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), need the help of the PAS to secure the elusive two-third majority needed to make electoral-boundary changes.

Currently, UMNO and its coalition partners in the BN have 134 parliamentary seats, while the PAS has 21 seats. The combined seats from the PAS will help the BN surpass the two-third majority of 148 seats to amend the Constitution and redraw electoral boundaries.

The Election Commission has two years to either redraw the electoral boundaries or add state and parliamentary seats before the next general election scheduled for 2018.

That process, however, has been delayed because the BN lacks the two-thirds majority needed to amend the Constitution.

A source in the PAS said the party would benefit from the additional seats in Malay-majority areas, particularly in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis, should the redelineation exercise take place.

“PAS is now in a dilemma,” said a senior party leader, adding that if the PAS was to cooperate with UMNO in supporting the amendments, it would mean betraying its PR partners.

The source added, however, that chances are high that the PAS would support UMNO on the matter, given its strained ties with PR allies, the Democratic Action Party and Parti Keadilan Rakyat, over the PAS’ bid to enforce the implementation of hudud, or Islamic criminal law, in Kelantan. THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER

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