Terengganu polls and GE16 are separate matters, Tuan Ibrahim tells Puad

Terengganu state polls and the 16th Malaysian general election (GE16) are distinct issues, according to PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. This assertion comes in response to former Umno leader Puad Zarkashi's claim that the Islamic party has shown inconsistency in its stance on early elections. Tuan Ibrahim clarified that his backing for an earlier GE16 does not automatically entail agreement with the proposal to hold the Terengganu election earlier.

He emphasized that a general election and a state election are not synonymous, highlighting the distinction between Puad's arguments. Puad, a former Umno Supreme Council member, had previously criticized Tuan Ibrahim for supporting an earlier GE16 while opposing an early dissolution of the Terengganu state assembly. Additionally, Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan had urged the PAS-led Terengganu government to dissolve the state assembly and hold a snap election to demonstrate the party's commitment to Malay unity.

However, Tuan Ibrahim dismissed this call, arguing that it would place undue burden on voters and incur unnecessary expenses. In the August 2023 Terengganu election, Umno did not secure any of the 32 state seats contested, and failed to win any of the eight parliamentary seats in the state during the 15th general election held in 2022.