KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Amanah Rakyat will contest 13 seats in the Sarawak state elections.

Its communications director Khalid Samad said the 13 seats they are contesting will not overlap with other candidates from other Pakatan Harapan parties.

However, Khalid said there are three more seats Amanah is seeking to contest, and those seats are also wanted by others in the Opposition coalition.

“We will discuss and decide later on those seats.

” Asked whether there will be a contest between Amanah and Pas candidates, Khalid said it was possible but he was not aware if Pas will be contesting the same seats.

Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub told NST that Amanah would announce the names of the candidates later.

“They will be announced a few days before the nominations are closed,” he said, adding it will be a mix of both urban and rural areas.

“We have discussed this and have sat down with other parties in Pakatan Harapan to gain their support,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pas information chief Nasruddin Hassan Tantawi told NST that Pas will contest in 11 seats in the Sarawak elections.

“We welcome any contest by any candidate from all parties,” he said.

Nasruddin said Pas will not back down from the 11 seats. Asked if they have an advantage over Amanah candidates for being former Pas members, Nasruddin said Pas will treat them like any other political rivals.

“When they left Pas, they changed their political views, their approach and their cause. So we (Pas) see them as new political rivals and not former friends,” he said.

-New Straits Times