Winnability the key factor in seat talks, says Zahid

 

Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow and deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (right) presenting donations to participants of a Ramadan event in Tasek Gelugor.

TASEK GELUGOR: Winnability should be the key factor in determining the direction of the seat negotiations between Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional, says BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said the ability of a candidate to win should have priority over the number of seats that will be gained by each coalition partner as they prepare for state assembly elections in the next four months.

The six states that will hold legislative elections are Kedah, Penang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan and Terengganu.

“It is too early for us to give hints (on who gets the seats),” he told reporters at a breaking of fast event at Masjid Jamel al-Islah.

“What is important is that the negotiations need to be based on the winnability (factor), not on who gets a certain number of seats.

“Winning (these state elections) is important,” he said after being asked to provide hints on which seats had been allocated to BN and PH.

Zahid also said that menteris besar, chief ministers and state Umno leaders would decide on the seat allocation formula, as national leaders like himself only have “policy-level discussion”.

He also spoke about the importance of compatibility between leaders of the two coalitions.

“We (PH and BN) have to create good chemistry and it needs to be filtered down to the grassroots level,” he said. - FMT