PN ready to form state govts, all posts agreed to, says Muhyiddin

 

PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin said the coalition is eyeing the Selangor state government which is the highest contributor to the national gross domestic product.

KUALA LUMPUR: Perikatan Nasional (PN) is ready to form the governments in six states, and has even agreed on how their administrative posts will be allocated among its component parties, says coalition chairman Muhyiddin Yassin.

Muhyiddin said PN, which is contesting all the 245 seats up for grabs in the coming state elections, was keen to avoid bickering over positions should it win and form the state governments in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.

These include the posts of menteris besar or chief minister, exco members, heads of state government-linked companies (GLCs), local councillors and even village security and development committee chiefs.

“After we concluded seat negotiations, we started to discuss forming the government (in all the states). We are one step ahead,” he told FMT in an interview.

“We planned it this way because we wanted to show we are truly united.”

Earlier this week, PN announced that it had concluded seat negotiations for the six state elections.

It also confirmed that the candidates for menteri besar in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan will come from Bersatu, while PAS will assume the top post in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.

On a possible backlash arising from the appointment of politicians to GLCs, Muhyiddin said the unity government has done the same.

“If there are political leaders with the calibre who are not holding any other position and are qualified for that (GLC) position, what is wrong with it? It doesn’t mean that the post should only be for corporate figures,” he said.

Selangor vital for PN

While all six states were important to PN, Muhyiddin said, it was critical that the coalition wins Selangor, the country’s richest state.

“Selangor is important. It is the most developed state, not just now, but it has been for a long time. It contributes 24.8% of the national gross domestic product, which translates to around RM300 billion.

“We know this. That’s why we want to take over its administration, but we know it will not be easy. If you asked me two to three years ago whether we can take over Selangor, I would have said ‘we will try’.

“Now, I would say ‘God willing’, because there has been a change in the political landscape after the general election.

“It is the people’s wave, not a green wave. It has caused many Umno seats to fall, and we have taken over many seats with a strong majority.”

Selangor is a Pakatan Harapan (PH) stronghold, with the coalition winning 51 of the 56 seats up for grabs in the last election. PH components PKR and DAP have been in power in the state since 2008 as part of the now-defunct Pakatan Rakyat coalition. - FMT