Melaka DAP sticks to PH going solo, contradicting PKR

 PH leaders continue to give conflicting signals on whether the coalition will contest the Nov 14 state election alone.

DAP’s Khoo Poay Tiong maintains that all three PH component parties have agreed to contest independently, but PKR’s Adam Adli said that any electoral pact must be decided collectively.

KUALA LUMPUR:

Melaka DAP has doubled down on Pakatan Harapan contesting the Nov 14 state election on its own, contradicting PKR’s position that the coalition remains open to electoral cooperation with other parties.

Melaka DAP chief Khoo Poay Tiong insisted that all three PH component parties in the state had agreed to go solo, adding that DAP was targeting eight seats. “I have mentioned this many times. PH is going solo this time. This is the consensus among Melaka PH. We are going solo,” he told FMT.

Khoo acknowledged that PH faced a tough contest, as the emergence of a blue-green alliance (between Barisan Nasional and PAS) in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections could now spread to Melaka.

“We admit that it is not easy, but we will go all out to fight. We will try our best,” he said.

However, Melaka PKR chief Adam Adli said no decision had been made on electoral cooperation with other parties. He said any such arrangement must be agreed upon collectively by PH. The coalition remained open to talks with other parties, but this position should not be read as a pact being finalised.

“Discussing means that you can invite us over for a meeting or anything. There is nothing wrong with communicating between the parties. But all decisions will be made as PH,” he said.

On seat negotiations between DAP and Amanah in Melaka, Adam said discussions had been completed and the parties were working to finalise an arrangement acceptable to both sides. “We will make sure that all of us can agree with each other,” he said.

PH leaders have expressed differing views over possible cooperation with other parties for the Melaka polls.

Yesterday, PH election director Amirudin Shari reiterated that the coalition remained open to electoral pacts, despite Khoo’s declaration that PH would contest on its own.

Amirudin reportedly said PH was prepared for all possibilities, including going solo, working with other parties or joining a larger coalition, while the final decision rested with the PH presidential council, which was still considering possible negotiations with Barisan Nasional.

PH has also been linked to a possible alliance with Bersatu following a dinner involving leaders from their respective state chapters. DAP leaders did not attend.

BN, meanwhile, has said it would negotiate with potential partners, despite previously expressing an intention to work with Perikatan Nasional following the alliance’s victory in Negeri Sembilan on Aug 1.

Melaka will go to the polls on Nov 14, with nominations on Oct 31 and early voting set for Nov 10. There are 28 seats up for grabs. - FMT