KUALA LUMPUR – Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) seat allocations in the peninsula at the next general election will only involve Bersatu, PAS and Gerakan, said coalition chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Muhyiddin said seat negotiations are expected to start soon, while Umno and its Barisan Nasional (BN) partners have shown no indication of cooperating with his coalition.
He added that the negotiations will take place as the general election is expected to be held next year.
“We will start the negotiations soon. As I said, it will be among the PN parties because we haven’t received any indication from BN, or other parties for that matter (to discuss the issue),” he told a press conference after a meeting with PN’s top leadership at the coalition’s headquarters in Solaris Dutamas here this evening.
“Of course, we have an understanding with a Sarawak party, but for Semenanjung, we will negotiate between three parties only, which is Bersatu, PAS, and Gerakan for all Parliament and state assembly seats.”
On whether there have been talks with Umno on political cooperation, Muhyiddin said PN has not received any indication on whether the BN lynchpin wants to discuss seat allocation.
“(That) or not even anything at all about the way (it wants to move) forward, whether it is with us.
“I do not want to harp on this issue because people may interpret it as me talking more about politics than business. But the fact is, we have not received any sign on whether it wants to cooperate or not.
“It’s difficult to say.”
Muhyiddin said the current reality is that PN and BN are in the federal government together.
“In fact, we are the majority in the present government.
“But the fact is, we have not received any indication that it wants to continue (with our cooperation) or it will go its own way forward.
“So, as I said, it doesn’t matter where they want to move. We (PN) will make our own decisions as it is important for us to decide.”
Earlier in the press conference, Muhyiddin said the PN leadership has agreed to uphold the memorandum of understanding on the transformation and stability that was signed between the government and opposition in a bid to cool down the political temperature in the country.
He also said PN is expected to hold an official launch of the coalition in November, with its Selangor chapter expected to play host. – The Vibes, September 30, 2021
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