Negeri Sembilan polls: BN not contesting all 36 seats, as it eyes pact with ‘trusted friend’
Barisan Nasional (BN) will contest 25 seats, amid recent signals by Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) that it would work with the coalition’s key party United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in the Aug 1 polls.
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition will contest only 25 of the 36 seats in the upcoming Negeri Sembilan state polls, leaving the remaining 11 without candidates as it works to finalise an electoral understanding with a “trusted friend”, local media reported.
The move comes amid recent remarks by opposition party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) signalling its willingness to work with the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) - the BN lynchpin party - in the Aug 1 polls.
Nomination Day for the Negeri Sembilan state polls is on Saturday (Jul 18), followed by a 14-day official campaigning period.
“There will be another announcement because for this 16th state election, we will be entering into an understanding with a friend,” BN deputy chairman Mohamad Hasan said, as quoted by Malaysian news outlet Berita Harian, without giving further details.
“We are working with a trusted partner, God willing.”
He was speaking on Wednesday at the unveiling of BN’s candidates for the Negeri Sembilan polls, in which he added that the candidates for the remaining 11 state seats would be announced later by “the other side” on Thursday.
The seats are Klawang, Serting, Lobak, Sikamat, Ampangan, Bukit Kepayang, Mambau, Paroi, Lukut, Bagan Pinang and Gemas, Berita Harian reported.
Over the weekend, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said his party was prepared to accept an UMNO candidate as its chief minister nominee if cooperation between the two parties could be finalised.
He added that negotiations with UMNO over seat allocations had been “very positive”.
On Monday, UMNO president and BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had however brushed off any claims of cooperation with PAS for the Negeri Sembilan polls.
The latest development also comes on the back of the recent Johor state election, where PAS had openly urged its voters to vote for BN in seats not contested by the opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN) that the Islamist party is a part of.
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A STRAINED PERIKATAN NASIONAL
The possible UMNO-PAS cooperation in Negeri Sembilan comes amid strains within PN, which also consists of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) as well as minority-centric parties Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party.
Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin said his party would field candidates under its own logo instead of the coalition’s, citing PAS’ move to cooperate with BN and his party’s exclusion from discussions on seat allocations.
He warned that Bersatu will not stand aside if it ends up facing PAS candidates in the Negeri Sembilan state election.
“It’s not that we want this to happen. How can PN be fighting PN? That’s not what we want,” he told reporters on Wednesday, as quoted by Sinar Harian.
“But if we have already accepted our nominations and a clash happens, we will still contest.”
Muhyiddin said Bersatu maintained that decisions on PN’s policies and direction should first be decided by the coalition’s Supreme Council, which has yet to meet.
He added that a meeting scheduled for Jul 12 to discuss seat allocations among component parties had also been postponed, Bernama reported.
Asked whether the use of its own symbol signalled Bersatu’s exit from PN, Muhyiddin said the party’s position within the coalition would only be decided after the Aug 1 election.
The former prime minister added that Bersatu’s full list of candidates for the state election would be finalised on Thursday and announced on Friday.
On Tuesday, PN announced that Parti Wawasan Negara (Wawasan), led by former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainuddin, is officially a member of the coalition.
Hamzah later said that the party is eyeing contesting in three or four seats in its electoral debut in Negeri Sembilan.
CANDIDATES UNVEILED THUS FAR
Meanwhile, BN introduced its candidates on Wednesday, with UMNO contesting 16 seats, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) seven and the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) two.
Hasan himself, or better known as Tok Mat, will defend the Rantau state seat, which the foreign affairs minister has held since 2004.
A day earlier, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim unveiled Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) candidates for all 36 state seats.
His Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) will contest 16 seats, while the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) will field candidates in 11 and nine seats respectively.
PH will field caretaker chief minister Aminuddin Harun in Linggi, moving him from his traditional stronghold of Sikamat. Also announced as a candidate was DAP secretary-general and Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who will defend the Chennah seat he has held since 2013.
In the 2023 state polls, BN and PH contested together under the unity government banner.
Prior to the dissolution of the 36-seat state legislative assembly, PH held 17 seats while BN held 14 seats. The two coalitions formed the state government, replicating the power-sharing model of the federal unity government.
PN held the remaining five seats, split between PAS’ three seats and Bersatu’s two.
Separately, the Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) - led by former ministers Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad - will sit out of the Negeri Sembilan state election following its resounding defeat in the Johor polls.
The newly-relaunched party saw all 15 of its candidates lose their deposits, after failing to secure the minimum 12.5 per cent of the vote in each of the seats contested.
Amid these political discussions, it appears likely that PH is set to face off against the combined forces of BN and PN in the Negeri Sembilan state election, even as Bersatu charts its own path.
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