Seat talks need some give-and-take, says Tajuddin

Upcoming seat allocation negotiations between Umno and other Perikatan Nasional (PN) parties will need some give-and-take, said Umno supreme council member Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.

"The question of making compromises does not arise. When we negotiate, every party will raise this and that.

"If we are to be strong as a coalition, there has to be tolak ansur (give-and-take)," Tajuddin (above) told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today.

The veteran Umno leader and three-term Pasir Salak MP said PN parties must accommodate each other's needs before devising a formula that is acceptable to all.

Officially, PN seat negotiations have yet to take place. 

The coalition was born in March on an ad hoc basis to form a new federal government. At this point, it is uncertain if PN will become a formal coalition.

Should PN component parties agree to go into the next election as a team, it is expected that the major sticking point for negotiations will be the fact that more than half of the MPs in Bersatu defected from Umno between 2018 and 2019.

Those 16 MPs were all elected in traditional Umno strongholds.

Yesterday, top PN coalition leaders and Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin met, where they reaffirmed their support for the Pagoh MP to continue leading the country.

Commenting on the meeting, Tajuddin said the purpose of the meeting, to his knowledge, was meant to strengthen ties between the parties.

"It is to ensure that the government of the day can weather the challenges within the Dewan Rakyat and outside it," he said.

- Mkini