KUALA LUMPUR: Discussions between Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional on electoral cooperation for the Melaka state election will be led by the coalitions’ respective election committees, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Pakatan chairman said coalition secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and elections director Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari have been tasked with leading the talks.
“We have Amirudin and Saifuddin to manage the talks,” he said when asked if Pakatan and Barisan had begun discussions on joint seat negotiations for the Melaka polls.
Saifuddin Nasution had earlier indicated plans to meet Melaka Barisan chief Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh to explore potential cooperation ahead of the election.
Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had also said the coalition remained open to negotiations on seat allocations, including possible seat swaps.
Meanwhile, Umno information chief Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said reiterated the party’s commitment to federal stability, confirming it will continue to honour the Unity Government Agreement signed after GE15.
She said differences at the federal level must be managed maturely to prevent them from affecting governance and public confidence.
“Our priority must be to ensure the Federal Government remains stable, the reform agenda is implemented and the people’s well-being remains the foremost priority until the end of the term,” she said in a statement.
Responding to claims that Umno had betrayed PKR during elections in Johor and Negri Sembilan, Azalina stressed that political alliances at state level need not mirror the federal coalition formula.
Differences in strategy or cooperation in a particular state election do not, by themselves, constitute a breach of the Unity Government Agreement at the federal level, she explained.
Azalina added that discourse surrounding the unity government should focus on fulfilling commitments to the public for the remainder of its term.
