PAS election director Sanusi Nor said the party’s two parliamentary wins in Melaka at GE15 indicate growing support for PAS, which he believes can be translated into state-level victories.

Sanusi, who is also the Kedah menteri besar, said an analysis of parliamentary voting patterns mapped onto state constituencies shows that PAS has the potential to win several seats.

However, he said, success would depend on the party’s machinery and voter support in Melaka.

“PAS has managed to break through major strongholds that were previously difficult to penetrate, which opens up opportunities for the party to advance further, especially in Melaka,” he said at a Melaka PAS event in Bukit Katil.

“The momentum is there. Now we need to double our efforts so that this opportunity is translated into actual victories in the upcoming state election.”

He said PAS is now focussing on strengthening its reach in target areas by increasing its ground presence and engaging with voters.

PAS failed to win a single seat in the 2021 state election, but captured the former Umno strongholds of Jasin and Tangga Batu in the 2022 general election.

Rembia assemblyman Jailani Khamis, formerly of Umno, moved to the opposition bloc after joining PAS in 2023, before the state assembly’s anti-hopping law came into force.

Barisan Nasional won 21 of the 28 seats in the 2021 Melaka election, while Pakatan Harapan won five and Perikatan Nasional took two through Bersatu.

The five-year term of the Melaka state legislative assembly will end in December, after which a state election must be held within 60 days.