MELAKA – Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan is unaware whether seat allocation talks for the 15th general election between the party and PAS have been put on hold.
As far as he is concerned, Mohamad said, talks on the matter are still being held by the Muafakat Nasional main committee every fortnight.
“I read about this (talks being suspended) in the media, but in the recent meeting, we have stated that discussions on seat allocations between Umno and PAS will continue.
“In fact, we have agreed on a formula that our respective parties will defend the seats that we have won, and another formula whereby between the two, the one that garners the most votes (in the seats they lost) will get to contest the said seats.”
The media had quoted PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang as saying that the party has sent representatives for seat allocation talks with Bersatu, but similar talks with Umno have been put on hold as it is currently facing internal issues.
Responding to this, Mohamad said Umno will seek clarification from PAS at the next MN meeting, adding that both parties are still on good terms.
On calls by some quarters within Umno for the party to hold elections – originally scheduled for this June – he said it depends on ongoing developments, especially regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, which keeps recording a high number of daily infections.
“In the current situation, we are looking at (daily cases of) Covid-19, as during elections, members must be present.
“But, currently, there are difficulties as the pandemic has not eased. We need to adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“For example, in the Rembau (Umno division), there are 1,100 delegates and, therefore, we have to look for a hall that can accommodate 3,000 people to comply with SOPs.
“We cannot allow only 20% to attend, as the meeting will be declared null and void. These are the constraints we are looking into.” – Bernama, April 11, 2021
