State polls: PN seat distribution follows status quo – Idris
FARAH SHAZWANI ALI
SHAH ALAM - The main indicator in Perikatan Nasional (PN) seat distribution for the state election is based on the status quo which is mostly maintained based on the incumbent party.
Pas vice president Datuk Idris Ahmad said there was no issue such as Pas dominating or being given an edge since an agreement has been reached and all parties have agreed on the seat distribution.
He said some overlapping seats have also been resolved by 'musyawarah' (deliberation) and they were just waiting for the time to hit the war ground.
"Most of the seats are based on the status quo between us and Bersatu just as we have agreed.
"In any seat that Umno dominates, we also placed a candidate and discuss. The same goes for overlapping seats. An agreement has been reached, so now, we are just waiting for the drums of war to get on the field," he told Sinar.
He said this in response to PN confirming that it would contest in all 245 state assembly seats in the polls across Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Terengganu, Selangor, Kedah and Penang.
Its chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that out of that number, Pas would compete for 126 seats, Bersatu (83 seats) and Gerakan for 36 seats.
In regards to the early announcement being one of PN's strategies, Idris stressed that PN is fully prepared.
"We held several meetings to finalise the seat allocation. In the discussions, we did not just touch on seat distribution but also strategies to maintain the victory momentum.
"It's the same with candidates; we present quality candidates who can only win. Don't ask who the candidates are. That will have to wait until the nomination day, but what can I say is it's a combination of old folks and newcomers," he said.
Meanwhile, Idris also criticised the use of 'green wave' perceived as suggesting a negative connotation, but stated that support for PN would lead to a 'people wave'.
Meanwhile, PN's decision to allocate more seats to Pas in the upcoming state election was due to the previous strength and performance of the party.
Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) political analyst Professor Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said that based on the arrangement, it seemed that Pas would probably compete for Malay areas on the East Coast where the party was more dominant during the 15th General Election (GE15).
"We know that Bersatu is not strong enough over there (East Coast). Same goes in the central, and southern areas.
"Only they (Pas) are stronger in the north because if there is no Pas, I think there is no hope for Bersatu to be in the government.
"So, in this context, the reality we see now is clear that Pas is the dominant party in PN and that is what Pas really wants," he told Sinar.
On Gerakan's chances to attract non-Malay voters to support PN, Azizuddin said the chances were slim.
He said this was due to Gerakan's potential and strength, which could only enable it to be in Penang, not other states.
"Right now, the response of non-Malay voters especially in urban areas where DAP is competing is even more likely to support DAP.
"So, if Gerakan has a chance, I think (that chance) is in Penang, but even in Penang, I figured it will be difficult to win because the contested areas are very strong DAP territories," he explained.
