KUALA LUMPUR (April 16): Malaysian Islamist Party (PAS) announced that it will contest in over 150 parliamentary seats in this upcoming 2018 General Elections (GE14).

This excludes seats to be contested by other members of its loose coalition Gagasan Sejahtera, a party official confirmed with theedgemarkets.com.

This marks the highest seat count to be contested by single party in the recent history of Malaysia's general election — beating 121 seats contested by Umno in GE13.

"PAS has conducted a Daily Executive Committee Meeting today (April 15) in Pulau Pinang, chaired by PAS president Datuk Seri Tuan Guru Haji Abdul Hadi Awang and attended by all 12 of the committee members.

"During the meeting, PAS has finalised 95% of its candidates for both parliamentary and state assembly levels for all states, including Sabah and Sarawak," it said in a statement yesterday.

Additionally, the party reiterated it will announce its candidates' list on April 19 for all states except Sabah, Sarawak, and its stronghold Kelantan.

In the same statement, PAS also welcomed Umno Women's wing's former deputy chief Datuk Kamilia Ibrahim as a lifetime party member.

Kamilia held the position in Umno until 2013, before she was automatically removed after deciding to contest as an independent candidate for the Kuala Kangsar parliamentary seat in GE13.