PAS unfazed by Perikatan suspension, says voters already know its moon symbol

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 — PAS is prepared to contest future elections using its moon symbol if Perikatan Nasional (PN) cannot use its coalition logo, according to party vice-president Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah. Mohd Amar stated that PAS is well-known enough among voters that changing symbols wouldn't be an issue. He cited recognition in recent state elections to support his claim.

Mohd Amar pointed out that people did not know PAS as well in the past, unlike now. This observation comes after the Registrar of Societies (RoS) suspended all PN activities on September 23 following a complaint from Perikatan Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, a PN component party. The RoS's notice was not a cancellation of the coalition's registration.

If PAS could not use PN's logo, Mohd Amar said PAS would revert to its traditional moon symbol, as it did previously. He added that some quarters may not be happy with this, but PAS has its own considerations. Mohd Amar also suggested that PAS could draw support from some BN voters in contests where the two sides did not face each other directly.

He noted that BN members and supporters actually prefer PAS's moon symbol. Mohd Amar did not provide polling data to back up his assessment of BN and Umno voter sentiment.