BN-PN pact expected in Melaka even as Umno delays talks
Analysts say Umno knows going solo would be a tough proposition as vying with PAS would complicate its path to victory in Malay-majority seats.
Melaka is set to hold elections soon following the dissolution of its state assembly on Wednesday. Analysts predict that the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) and the Islamic party, PAS, will enter into an electoral pact, given their reluctance to compete against each other for Malay-majority seats. Mazlan Ali, a Universiti Teknologi Malaysia academic, believes that Umno is likely to reach an agreement with PAS before distributing seats among the parties in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.
PAS is expected to chair the negotiations and allocate seats accordingly. Umno chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had previously stated that formal negotiations with other parties would commence only after the state assembly's dissolution. The BN party, which currently governs Melaka with a majority of 21 out of 28 seats, is likely to defend all its seats in the upcoming polls, leaving potential partners with only seven contested seats.
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- BN-PN pact expected in Melaka even as Umno delays talks freemalaysiatoday.com
