‘Two seats still unresolved in Negri’

SEREMBAN: Both the state Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional have yet to reach a consensus on two out of the 36 seats to be distributed between both coalitions for the state election, says Negri Sembilan Pakatan chief Datuk Aminuddin Harun.

With the state legislative assembly set to be dissolved on June 30, he said both parties were still unable to reach a consensus on the matter.

“There is this issue involving two seats, so we are leaving it to the Pakatan presidential council. I believe this will be sorted out very soon,” he said when met after chairing the state exco meeting at Wisma Negri here yesterday.

Aminuddin, who is Mentri Besar, said he hopes for a status quo on the seats in the coming polls, whereby Pakatan will defend all the 20 seats it won in the 2018 general election while Barisan will contest the remaining 16 it won then.

“There have been demands here and there. So it is best to have the top leaders sort this out,” he added.

The PKR vice-president said the state leaders will accept whatever decision is made by the party leadership.

“Some may disagree, but we must accept whatever decision is made with a big heart.”

State Umno chief Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias hoped that Barisan could contest 18 seats, although the party won only 16 in the last polls. He added that this was to allow both Pakatan and Barisan to face the polls on an equal footing, allowing Barisan candidates to be fielded in every parliamentary constituency.

On another matter, Aminuddin said the decision about whether he will be defending his Sikamat state seat will be made by party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Aminuddin first became Sikamat assemblyman in 2008 and successfully retained the seat in the 2013 and 2018 elections. He won the Port Dickson parliamentary seat in the 2022 general election.