Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir has proposed that Perikatan Nasional and BN use incumbency as the basis for seat talks in the 16th general election.

Amid changing political alliances, the formula could give PN more bargaining room at the federal level, as BN contested most of the seats under their state election pact.

Mukhriz said GE16 seat negotiations had yet to begin, but he hoped the coalitions would carry over the give-and-take from the state polls.

“You (BN) take the state seats where you’re the incumbent. We (PN) take the parliamentary seats where we’re the incumbent, and we can share them with our other partners,” he told reporters after delivering his policy address at Pejuang’s fourth annual general assembly in Shah Alam today.

Under the Malacca pact, BN fielded candidates in 23 of the 28 state seats and PN in five. BN won 21 seats yesterday and PN three, giving the two coalitions a combined 24 seats. Pakatan Harapan took the remaining four.

In the just concluded Malacca polls, BN moved its Paya Rumput incumbent Rais Yasin to Sungai Udang, a seat PN won in 2021. BN won Sungai Udang yesterday, while PN took Paya Rumput.

During GE15, BN won none of Malacca’s six parliamentary seats. PN won Masjid Tanah, Tangga Batu and Jasin, while Harapan took Alor Gajah, Hang Tuah Jaya and Kota Melaka.

Mukhriz said the incumbency principle should also guide seat negotiations nationwide, although adjustments could be made where necessary.

Wawasan hoping for balance

Wawasan Negara vice-president Rahim Thamby Chik, who was among coalition leaders present at the Pejuang AGM, said PN was left with the remaining seats after BN secured most of the allocations in Malacca.

The former Malacca chief minister said PN component parties should therefore get more opportunities to contest parliamentary seats where BN has no incumbent.

Wawasan Negara vice-president Rahim Thamby Chik

“You get a lot of state seats because of incumbency. Where BN has no parliamentary incumbency, give us more opportunities at the federal level. That’s the balance we’re hoping for,” he said.

Wawasan has six MPs, including party president and opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin, following their sacking from Bersatu.

Give fair shots

Pejuang joined PN in June and was allocated seats in the Johor election. It fielded no candidates in Negeri Sembilan or Malacca.

Mukhriz said prioritising seats already held by BN or PN left few openings for other component parties.

He recalled that Pejuang initially eyed Gemas in Negeri Sembilan, but the seat went to Wawasan after incumbent Ridzuan Ahmad switched from Bersatu. Ridzuan went on to win the seat.

Pejuang then looked at neighbouring Gemencheh, where Umno already had a candidate under the pact, he said.

Pejuang accepted the compromise and helped campaign for candidates from both coalitions, however, Mukhriz hoped future allocations would reflect the strengths of component parties including Pejuang, Gerakan and MIPP.

In his policy address, he had also called for all PN component parties to be given a fair opportunity to prepare for GE16.

“Seat allocations and electoral strategies must take into account the strengths, capabilities and contributions of each party,” he said.

Mukhriz also proposed appointing a PN chairperson in every state, with a clear mandate to coordinate electoral strategy and strengthen ties among component parties.

Previously, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has signalled support for extending the BN-PN arrangement to the federal level, while Umno vice-president Khaled Nordin has described the Malacca pact as a possible blueprint for GE16.

BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Nov 12 that BN remained committed to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s federal government, despite contesting against Harapan in several state polls.