T'ganu MB leads PAS in PN negotiations over GE15 seat allocation
Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar is to lead PAS in Perikatan Nasional (PN) negotiations over GE15 seats.
Speaking to the press, Samsuri said a meeting will be held between leaders of three PN parties in Kuala Lumpur tonight to discuss the seat allocation for the next general election and election machinery.
Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar is to lead PAS in Perikatan Nasional (PN) negotiations over GE15 seats.
Speaking to the press, Samsuri (above) said a meeting will be held between leaders of three PN parties in Kuala Lumpur tonight to discuss the seat allocation for the next general election and election machinery.
It is believed that the three parties he was referring to are Umno-BN, PAS and Bersatu.
While it is uncertain when the next polls will be called, it has been speculated that it could be held as early as the end of this year.
“The meeting of the three parties… (we) will discuss seats and preparation for the general election.
“I am leading the PAS team as vice-president,” he said in a clip he uploaded on his Twitter late last night.
The issue of seat distribution between the three coalition partners has become a sticking point in the PN administration since the installation of the new government in March.
Bersatu, Umno and PAS share a similar support base in majority Malay-Muslim areas.
This came on top of the Muafakat Nasional pact which was signed last September, prior to Bersatu exiting the Pakatan Harapan coalition.
The pact sees the political cooperation between PAS and Umno, including in matters pertaining to elections.
BN has won six by-elections since Muafakat Nasional was formalised, namely Cameron Highlands, Semenyih, Rantau, Tanjung Piai, Kimanis and Chini.
Recently, Malaysiakini learnt that while Umno and PAS have yet to finalise their seat distribution for GE15, both parties have agreed in principle to a mechanism to do so, albeit with some contention.
A source claimed that several Umno leaders objected to Kedah and Terengganu being handed over to PAS.
PAS administers three states - Kedah, which it wrested from Harapan in May, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Meanwhile, a Johor Bersatu leader claimed the party would not concede seats it contested in the last general election.
This included seats held by the faction led by disputed party chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad, which is against PN.
The matter is, however, complicated by the fact several seats were contested under Harapan and against Umno or PAS candidates.
There is also the issue of several seats which were contested under the BN ticket but whose elected representative left the party to join Bersatu.
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