{
  "id": 15683000,
  "title": "PAS No 2 plays down need for Melaka poster boy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/pas-no-2-plays-down-need-for-melaka-poster-boy-15683000",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-20T00:54:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/10/20/pas-no-2-plays-down-need-for-melaka-poster-boy"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has downplayed the need to designate a poster boy for the upcoming Melaka state election, stating that the decision will be made jointly with the party's election partners and is currently not a priority. He emphasized that the chief minister for Melaka should come from the party that secures the most seats.\n\nAccording to Tuan Ibrahim, PAS is concentrating on obtaining the people's mandate and that the issue of a poster boy has occasionally been deliberately turned into a contentious matter. He argued that leaders should be selected based on their abilities and suitability rather than their popularity. For instance, he pointed out that many Malaysians were not familiar with the names of the chief ministers of Terengganu and Kedah before the recent elections.\n\nTuan Ibrahim used the examples of Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who became the chief minister of Terengganu, and Sanusi Nor, who became the chief minister of Kedah, to illustrate his point. He stressed that the choice of a leader should be based on their individual abilities and suitability, not just their popularity.\n\nWhen asked if PAS would consider a poster boy candidate from another party, Tuan Ibrahim indicated that the matter would be discussed with the parties with which PAS collaborates. He reiterated that the focus for now is on the party's manifesto, not the question of the poster boy.\n\nThe Election Commission has set November 14 as the polling day for the Melaka state election, with nominations due on October 31 and early voting scheduled for November 10. There are 28 seats available in the state assembly. In the 2021 election, the Barisan Nasional coalition won 21 seats, Pakatan Harapan secured five, and Perikatan Nasional captured two.",
  "summary": "Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man says whoever is made chief minister should come from the party that wins the most seats.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "PRN Melaka: Penganalisis pilih Adly ‘poster boy’ PH",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/prn-melaka-penganalisis-pilih-adly-poster-boy-ph",
        "published": "2026-10-19T00:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}