Selangor Pakatan seat negotiations begin

SHAH ALAM: The Selangor Pakatan Harapan seat negotiations that kicked off here Wednesday morning are expected to drag on all day.

 

Negotiations are expected to be fiery with PKR, DAP, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and Parti Amanah Negara fighting for some of the same seats.

 

The meeting is being chaired by Selangor Pakatan secretary Zuraida Kamaruddin (pic).

 

According to a Pakatan source, the negotiations could be concluded later Wednesday “if all the parties stick to the seat allocations that were initially decided upon”.

 

He said initial negotiations for seats went down the drain because some partner parties started demanding additional seats.

 

Assoc Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia's School of Social Sciences, meanwhile, said he believes that the seat allocation issue may not be settled at the meeting.

 

“I think the Pakatan presidential council may have to intervene to solve the matter,” he said.

 

Dr Sivamurugan added that the best option would be for the older parties to just maintain the status quo while the newer parties shared the remaining seats.

 

“PKR and DAP should contest for the seats they contested in the last general election whilst Pribumi and Amanah should share the PAS seats,” he said.

 

Zuraida, however, said the meeting paved the way for Selangor Pakatan to “clarify things, put things into perspective and move forward”.

 

“Things will go smoothly today.

 

“We are working around the principle that we have to work together to make sure we retain Selangor in the next general election.

 

“'We will work our best to make that happen. Everyone has to work together and prioritise the ‘winnability’ factor,” she said at the PKR general election action centre before the meeting at Vista Alam here.

 

Zuraida said that the meeting will consider all candidates proposed before deciding on the best to contest.

 

“For candidates, we must focus on winnability and capability.

 

“We will look at the candidates proposed from all parties. We will put them together and find the best,” she added.

 

She said that the 13 seats held by PAS and 12 by Umno will also be discussed at the meeting.