ALOR SETAR, Sept 4 — PAS has set its target on getting a minimum of 40 parliamentary seats as one of its three main goals in the coming general election, vice-president Datuk Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah told thousands of delegates here late last night.

"We need to strengthen our position by adding to our existing parliamentary seats. We need to work hard to increase them.

"We target a minimum of 40 parliamentary seats. That is our priority,” he said during a meeting with party election workers during a meeting in conjunction with the Islamist party’s 68th annual congress.

The deputy Kelantan mentri besar said the party’s two other objectives are to defend the three PAS-led state governments that include Kedah and Terengganu; and ensure it is still a member of the federal government after GE15.

"We have to make sure that the presence in the federal government continues.

"As it is when walking, we have already taken a step forward and can't go back, we have to make sure we stay strong,” he said.

In the last general election, PAS won 18 parliamentary seats, with nine of them coming from their stronghold of Kelantan.

PAS is a part of the Perikatan Nasional coalition headed by Bersatu.

On September 2, PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the party hopes it can negotiate with Umno using their Muafakat Nasional platform to prevent clashes in 27 parliamentary seats between their respective coalitions.

PAS is a member of the five-party Perikatan Nasional while Umno leads the Barisan Nasional.