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DAP's Kampar MP Chong Zhemin has drawn a distinction between political outcomes and campaign strategies, arguing that Pakatan Harapan has never deliberately campaigned along racial lines unlike its rivals Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional.
Pakatan Harapan is restructuring its election strategy ahead of the Negeri Sembilan state election on August 1, following disappointing results in Johor that revealed declining support among Malay voters.
PAS leader Saifuddin Abdullah has urged Malaysian voters to follow their moral compass when choosing between PN and BN candidates in contested seats, effectively asking them to reject Pakatan Harapan in those races.
PAS leadership maintains that its election seat allocation strategy reflects careful analysis of voter demographics and established support bases across constituencies, rather than apprehension about facing rival parties.
UMNO and the Barisan Nasional coalition need to directly target PAS voters and supporters in constituencies where the Islamist party is sitting out elections, according to party officials seeking to maximise voter turnout.