Pakatan Harapan (PH) has welcomed Barisan Nasional’s (BN) willingness to discuss seat allocation ahead of the upcoming Melaka state election, describing the move as an opportunity that deserves serious consideration.
PH Communications Director Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said the openness should be embraced in the interest of Melaka’s political stability and future, while also taking into account its wider importance to the country.
He said Melaka PH chairman Adam Adli had informed him that he had also been in direct contact with Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh regarding the distribution of seats in the state legislative assembly.
Fahmi said the current political landscape in Melaka made discussions between the two coalitions a realistic prospect, with BN holding 21 state seats compared with PH’s five.
He said the latest development could pave the way for several matters concerning the allocation of state seats to be discussed and managed at both state and Federal levels.
“BN has 21 seats in Melaka while PH has five. So, this is something realistic that we can look into,” he told reporters after officiating the Mega Gotong-Royong Perangi Aedes programme in Lembah Pantai on Sunday.
The comments came after BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the coalition remained open to negotiations over seat allocation, including possible seat swaps, ahead of the Melaka state election.
Ahmad Zahid said any such discussions must be conducted honestly and sincerely while ensuring that the number of seats held by each party was not compromised.
He also stressed that the fundamental principle in any negotiations was that seats won by a particular party should be respected and not simply handed over to its political partners.
