N eyes 5 parliamentary seats in federal territories

 

Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the coalition must work towards re-establishing its political dominance. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: 

Barisan Nasional hopes to expand its presence in the federal territories by contesting five parliamentary seats at the next general election, BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

He said BN will have discussions with its partners in the federal coalition government, with the goal of making the federal territories a stronghold of the unity alliance.

“I am hoping for not just three seats in the federal territories, namely Johari Ghani’s (Titiwangsa seat), Putrajaya and Labuan. If we negotiate well, we will get five seats,” he said in opening the federal territories BN convention in Kuala Lumpur today.

Zahid said it was important that BN’s partners, Umno, MCA, MIC, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah and BN-friendly parties known as Friends of BN, cooperate with other parties in the unity alliance.

The federal territories have 13 parliamentary seats, of which 10 were won by Pakatan Harapan, two by Perikatan Nasional and one by BN at the 2022 general election.

PN won in Putrajaya and Labuan but Labuan MP Suhaili Abdul Rahman has since pledged support for the unity government and had his Bersatu membership terminated.

Separately, Zahid said BN must regain its past political dominance and continue to be part of the government. It was not in BN’s culture to be seated on the opposition benches or sidelined.

“We must return to dominance and win many seats,” he added. - FMT