PAS has signalled its willingness to back an UMNO candidate for the Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar post if ongoing talks between the two parties result in an electoral pact and victory in the upcoming state election on 1 August.
PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang said negotiations over seat allocations between PAS and UMNO are progressing well, describing the discussions as “very positive”.
Speaking at a press conference after the Negeri Sembilan PAS Grand Dinner in Paroi late Sunday night, Abdul Hadi acknowledged UMNO’s stronger political presence in the state and said PAS accepted the reality that UMNO should lead the state government if the alliance secures a mandate.
“We are working towards cooperation with UMNO and Barisan Nasional. The discussions have been very positive. We recognise that UMNO is the dominant party in Negeri Sembilan, so it will lead and provide the Menteri Besar,” he said.
Abdul Hadi revealed that current negotiations include a proposal for UMNO to retain the 14 State Legislative Assembly (DUN) seats it currently holds, while PAS would defend its three incumbent seats.
He added that the two seats previously held by Bersatu are still under discussion and could be contested by either PAS or UMNO, depending on what is deemed most suitable.
The Marang MP also said the remaining 17 seats currently held by Pakatan Harapan (PH) would be distributed among parties cooperating under the proposed arrangement, including UMNO, PAS, MCA, MIC and Gerakan.
According to Abdul Hadi, the negotiations have so far proceeded smoothly without major disagreements, stressing that the shared objective is to ensure that the state continues to be led by Malay-Muslim leadership, similar to the political outcome in Johor.
He also confirmed that PAS has yet to decide whether it will contest the election under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) logo or its own party logo, adding that a final decision will be announced before nomination day on Thursday.
In the 2023 Negeri Sembilan state election, Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional formed the state government after jointly winning 31 of the 36 DUN seats, with PH securing 17 seats, BN 14, and Perikatan Nasional five. However, for this year’s election, PH and BN are contesting all 36 seats separately.
