PH-BN meetings at state level concluded, says Zahid

 

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said once elections are called, BN will decide on the candidates from each of the parties.

KUALA LUMPUR: All meetings at the state level between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) ahead of the upcoming state polls have concluded, BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said, with the coalitions’ leadership now collating the results to finalise seat allocations.

“Hopefully, we can complete the seat allocations before the respective state legislative assemblies are dissolved.

“Once elections are called, we will decide on the candidates from each of (the relevant) parties,” Zahid said when asked about his coalition’s preparations for the upcoming state polls.

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The Umno president’s comments came after he officiated the new headquarters for the party’s Batu division on Jalan Batu Muda here, an event that was also attended by Titiwangsa MP Johari Ghani.

State polls for Selangor, Kedah, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, and Terengganu are due within the next three months as their state legislative assemblies will come to the end of their terms soon.

When asked about the number of candidates from BN’s component parties MCA and MIC, he reiterated that seat negotiations were happening between coalitions, not parties.

“This was a mutual decision between PH and BN,” said Zahid.

He said BN will prioritise candidates who are “winnable, likeable and acceptable”, with the polls serving as the first real test of the new government’s support.

“Although the elections are only for the state governments, the results will be a manifestation of people’s acceptance of our government.”

On Umno Youth’s decision not to invite other parties’ representatives to the upcoming Umno general assembly, Zahid said it was important to remember that the party’s top brass had already invited other leaders from the unity government to the event, even if this did not extend to the youth wings.

This comes after Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Salleh said a collective decision was made by all state youth leaders and executive councillors  not to invite counterparts from other government parties to its session at the general assembly. - FMT