PN open to seat allocation with BN to ensure victories, says Takiyuddin

KOTA BARU: PN's secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan stated that Perikatan Nasional is open to negotiating seat allocations with Umno to enhance the opposition's prospects in state and federal elections. Hassan mentioned that the coalition is prepared to relinquish specific seats to Umno if this cooperation leads to victories in states where both parties have support.

During a recent campaign rally, Hassan elaborated that this cooperation could be based on the principle of 'muafakat' (consensus) and that both parties would discuss the most advantageous distribution of seats based on their respective strengths. He provided an example, stating that in Negri Sembilan, if the collaboration resulted in winning 25 seats, then in Melaka, their combined strength could potentially secure an additional number of seats.

He also hinted at discussions regarding Kelantan and Terengganu. Takiyuddin affirmed that the PN component party, Pas, had previously demonstrated its readiness to collaborate with Umno and Barisan Nasional. He highlighted that Pas had agreed to allow Umno to contest 25 out of the 36 state seats in Negri Sembilan, while PN would contest the remaining 11 under an electoral cooperation agreement.

This approach, according to Takiyuddin, is driven by a focus on delivering the best possible outcome for the people rather than pursuing political interests. He added that such cooperation proved the party's commitment to securing all 28 state seats in Terengganu, where Pas and Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah won all 39 seats in 1990.