KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 21 — Kelantan PAS said it is hoping for backing from 40 per cent of undecided voters in the upcoming 14th general election, declaring that its actual competitor is the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition rather than Parti Amanah Negara.

The chapter’s secretary Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi dismissed the Islamist party’s offshoot Amanah as an election rival, due to the alleged return of some of the latter’s supporters into PAS’ fold.

"At the same time, we hope almost 40 per cent of voters who are fence-sitters will tend to choose our candidates in the elections.

"We are confident the fence-sitters will give their support to PAS to continue ruling Kelantan,” he was quoted as saying in a report by PAS news portal Harakah Daily.

He believes that PAS still has an advantage in three-cornered fights in the upcoming election, saying there is no need for Kelantan voters to vote for other parties.

"There is no reason PAS supporters would want to topple the state government, what more some of the followers of Amanah’s leaders have returned to us,” he said, having also expressed confidence of PAS supporters’ loyalty.

During Election 2013, PAS won seven of the 14 federal seats in Kelantan against BN mainstay party Umno’s two-seat haul, while PKR and Amanah currently hold one seat each. PAS won 32 of the 45 Kelantan state seats, while Umno won 12 and PKR won one seat.

Amanah was launched in late 2015.