Leaders: Holding state polls later not good for PH

Special meeting: Aminuddin arriving for a meeting following the dissolution of Parliament at the PKR headquarters in Petaling Jaya. — Bernama

SEREMBAN: Holding state elections separately from the 15th General Election would put the Pakatan Harapan-led states at a disadvantage, say senior party leaders here.

“With so many parties in the fray this time around, Barisan Nasional is the huge favourite to win GE15.

“If the three (Pakatan-held) states hold their polls next year, they will not only have to face the state Barisan but the entire election machinery from the federal level,” said one PKR leader.

This, he said, could lead to Pakatan’s defeat.

Pakatan heads the governments of Negri Sembilan, Penang and Selangor.

The PKR leader said the Negri Sembilan assembly could be dissolved after the sitting on Oct 17.

The Pakatan presidential council, he believed, already knows this and should be changing its earlier stance not to hold the polls simultaneously.

“If we hold the polls separately, we are going to suffer the same fate as we did in Melaka and Johor.

“We cannot afford another beating as this would make us irrelevant,” he said.

Barisan won super-majorities in both the Melaka and Johor state elections.

He said it would also not be judicious to hold the polls separately in Negri Sembilan with PKR not being at its strongest.

The party has been shaken after a decision by state chief and Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun not to give senior positions to its five party assemblymen in the state PKR line-up.

Another state PKR leader agreed, saying Pakatan should go to the polls now to “dilute” Barisan’s power. “Whether you like it or not, they have the funds and a huge election machinery.

“If Negri sits it out, we are going to be sitting ducks next year as Barisan, which most likely would already be the Federal Government, will be able to mobilise its machinery to the three states,” he said.

He said the three Pakatan states should also take advantage of the voters’ anger with the government’s decision to dissolve Parliament just before the monsoon season and attract protest votes.

“What makes you think the voters, especially those living far from home, will come back to vote again at the state polls next year?

“The most sensible thing to do is to hold the state polls simultaneously,” he said.

Pakatan, he said, should also take advantage of the situation by telling voters they too were forced to hold their state polls now.

One state DAP leader said elections could be held separately provided the three Pakatan-held states as well as the PAS-led governments of Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu all agree to dissolve their assemblies at the same time.

“There have been brainstorming sessions on this, and we have looked at several scenarios.

“Since Pakatan has been against holding GE15 this year, we will not be very much at a disadvantage if our three states and the three PAS states agree to hold state polls at the same time next year.

“Barisan will then have to divide its manpower and this will reduce its influence,” he added.