BN wants PAS to endorse him in Permatang Pauh

Barisan Nasional's Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah is attempting the unthinkable - he wants Permatang Pasir's Pas assemblyman Hamdan Abdul Rahman to endorse his campaign.

"My people are trying to arrange a meeting with him. I am going to tell him, if I win the Parliament seat, I can help develop his constituency, so both of us can share the credit," he said when met here today.

The BN candidate for the Permatang Pauh by-election is hoping that Pas will abandon its ally Parti Keadilan Rakyat, enabling a fighting chance for him against PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Hamdan however is not interested. "His offer is as a sign of desperation. Maybe he realises that BN is going to lose the election.

The three-term Pas assemblyman politely said that was inappropriate to negotiate with Arif Shah during the campaign period.

"We are at war, how can we negotiate with the enemy. Pas cannot afford to destroy Pakatan Rakyat, I will always defend the coalition.

"I was an opposition assemblyman for two terms. Why would I need his help now to bring development to my constituency? Pas machinery is working as usual and I personally attend 10 to 12 programmes a day for the campaign," Hamdan added.

A check at the Pas operation centre in Permatang Pasir showed that the Islamist party was still in high spirits to ensure Anwar's return to Parliament as party workers crowded after a day of campaigning. Several Pas female members were at the centre after returning from canvassing for votes.

"We visited about 200 homes this morning, and we are sure to get 80 percent of the votes in those areas," one of them told The Malaysian Insider.

PKR national strategy director Saifuddin Nasution said Arif Shah was being over ambitious.

"I would like to thank him for his good intention to help develop Permatang Pasir. But don't forget the mega projects in Penang such as the monorail was scrapped by the federal government and there's nothing for someone like Arif Shah can do," he said.

Anwar's campaign has intensified with ceramahs, walkabouts and house to house visit while BN is focusing more visiting voters in their houses.