BARISAN Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) must join hands to work together if they intend to topple PAS and Perikatan Nasional in Kelantan in the forthcoming state polls, according to a state UMNO leader.
Kelantan UMNO Youth chief Noor Hariri Mohd Noor was reported as telling FMT that this partnership was needed in view of BN and PH’s collaboration at the federal level.
However, Kelantan BN will need the top leadership’s go-ahead before initiating negotiations on partnerships for the state polls, he said, adding that they have yet to hold any discussions on the matter.
“If it happens, the distribution of the 45 state seats to be contested will definitely be negotiated (with PH),” he told the news portal.
Noor Hariri said Kelantan BN had reflected on its dreadful performance in the 15th general election (GE15) when PN swept all the 14 parliamentary seats up for grabs in the state.
In the 14th general election, BN only managed to win eight of the 45 state seats in Kelantan.
Last week BN deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan told reporters that the coalition has yet to decide on political cooperation with any party to face the coming six state elections.
He also said BN is still in the planning stage and is looking at the best strategy for the polls.
However, Mohamad, who is also BN election director, did not rule out the possibility that the cooperation at the federal government level, including with PH, will continue in the state polls.
Six states – PH-controlled Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, as well as PAS-led Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu – have to hold their state elections this year. – Feb 3, 2023
Main pic credit: The Star
