[UPDATED] PH-BN cooperation in state elections to be discussed Saturday: Saifuddin

KAJANG – The Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council is set to discuss the possibility of forming an electoral pact with Barisan Nasional (BN) in the upcoming state elections during a meeting scheduled this Saturday. 

This was confirmed by the coalition’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail who said that this issue is among three main agendas on the table when the council meets. 

He was asked to comment on DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng’s statement yesterday that the Penang chapters of PH and BN will likely enter the state polls as a single team. 

“The PH presidential council will conduct its first meeting of the year on January 7. I believe the matter will be discussed then,” Saifuddin, who is the home minister, told a press conference after attending a briefing at the Prison Department headquarters here today. 

“The discussion will also centre on our post-mortem for the 15th general election and the coming elections in six states. 

“Thirdly, we will discuss related matters, including the one touched on by Lim,” he added. 

Saifuddin said the meeting will be held at 4pm at PKR’s headquarters in Petaling Jaya.

Yesterday, Lim said that PH and BN are expected to form cooperation ahead of the state election in Penang, due to be held by the middle of this year. 

The Bagan MP said this is in line with the unity government formed at the federal level, as well as in Perak and Pahang, which held their respective state polls concurrently with the general election on November 19. 

He added that any final decision on the matter will only be made after deliberation with PH’s top leadership. 

However, in a separate statement last night, Umno supreme council member Isham Jalil was quoted as saying by New Straits Times that BN has yet to come to an agreement on collaborating with PH in the state elections. 

He said the party’s main focus at the moment is on its general assembly, which will be held from January 11 to 14, and to get its house in order before discussing other matters. 

Other than Penang, the other states that are due for an election this year are Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu. – The Vibes, January 3, 2022