JOHOR BARU – With elections in six states looming around the corner and the issue of seat distribution expected to be a hot topic, youth-based party Muda has claimed that there has been no discussion with Pakatan Harapan (PH) on its application to join the coalition
Muda communications chief Luqman Long told The Vibes that PH has been giving his party the cold shoulder since they made known their intention to join the coalition.
“As far as I’m concerned, PH has not been communicating with Muda since we sent official letters to them to initiate discussion on Muda membership in PH,” Luqman said when contacted.
Earlier, in a press statement, Muda suggested that they might be going their own way for the state elections.
The party said that any matter pertaining to its participation in the polls will be announced by itself and not PH.
The comments come in the light of Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Amirudin Shari’s comments that Muda’s cooperation with the coalition during the upcoming state polls would be decided by PH.
Amirudin, who is Selangor PH chairman and also PKR vice-president, had said that Muda’s participation in the upcoming state polls in Selangor under PH remains uncertain, and it is up to PH leaders to decide on the matter.
He added that it was determined during a PKR meeting that the final say on the youth-based party’s participation in the state election would be left to the PH presidential council.
“(Whether or not Muda is featured in the polls) will be decided by PH, with the understanding that Muda was PH’s partner for the 15th general elections,” he told a press conference yesterday.
However, Muda retorted that Amirudin’s statement was “false, untrue and the personal perception of the Selangor Menteri Besar himself”.
In a statement on behalf of the party, Luqman said that up until now there have been no negotiations between itself and PH over strategic cooperation and seat distribution.
“I assume that Amirudin’s statement is clearly intended to confuse voters and does not show any respect to Muda.
“Any matters pertaining to Muda and the state polls will be made by Muda and not PH,” he said.
Muda announced its intention to join PH in September last year.
Its president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman had said that unofficial discussions on cooperation with PH had taken place since the Johor state election in March 2020.
“Informal discussions have been conducted with opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, (DAP secretary-general) Anthony Loke, as well as Amanah president (Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu),” Syed Saddiq had said.
The Selangor polls are expected to be held in August following the Selangor sultan’s consent to the dissolution of the state legislative assembly on June 23 yesterday morning.
Amirudin also said that seat allocation discussions between PH and Barisan Nasional have been completed, with a matter of some unfinalised seats in Selangor and other states still pending.
Adding further he said if there’s any room for Muda to contest in Selangor under PH, it may only be for two out of 56 state seats which are still left undecided.
Selangor is among six states slated to hold elections this year. The others are Penang, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Negri Sembilan. – The Vibes, June 20, 2023
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