GE15: PN ready for multi-cornered fights after PAS Youth rejects Harapan

PAS MUKTAMAR | Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin is ready to take his coalition into multi-cornered fights for the 15th general election (GE15).

This is after PAS Youth rejected cooperation with Pakatan Harapan.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the PAS muktamar in Alor Setar, Kedah today, Muhyiddin (above) said his stance on cooperation with other opposition parties was meant to show PN's openness to the idea.

Even though PAS Youth also wants straight fights, he understood that there might be resistance to new pacts.

"Before this, there were those who suggested, if possible, to avoid (multi-cornered) clashes. That was voiced out by PAS Youth at the PN convention, so I responded.

"But I understand that it's a difficult situation," he said.

At the PN convention last Saturday, PAS Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, who is also the coalition youth chief, said there was a need to ensure straight fights during GE15.

Later, Fadhli clarified that his message was actually meant to warn against any cooperation with Harapan.

Instead, PAS has shown continued interest in cooperating with Umno - despite the latter saying it would not work with the Islamist party or their PN partner, Bersatu.

On that note, Muhyiddin said it was likely that GE15 would have many three or four-way bouts, adding PN was prepared for it.

"We have sufficient strategies. We also have a team that will ensure success during GE15," he said.

Besides BN, PN and Harapan, other contenders in the general election are the Pejuang-led Gerakan Tanah Air coalition of several Malay parties and NGOs, Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) and Sabah-based Warisan - which has expanded to the Peninsular.

Malaysia practices the first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system, under which a party can win in multi-cornered fights by having the most votes without passing a 50 percent vote threshold.

This allowed BN to win big in the Malacca and Johor state polls, where they bagged over 70 percent of the seats despite getting less than 45 percent of the popular vote in both elections.

Meanwhile, on seat negotiations and whether PN will use a common logo - Muhyiddin said discussions on the matters are underway.

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