ALOR GAJAH: Pakatan Harapan views the proposed "PH Plus" cooperation in the Melaka state election as more of an electoral understanding than a new coalition, given the limited time for preparations, says Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
The Pakatan election director said there was too little time available to form a new coalition, but an understanding for electoral purposes could still be reached.
"I think it would not be a coalition, but perhaps a political understanding. More towards an electoral understanding.
"If it is an electoral understanding, it can still be done," he told reporters after launching the Masjid Tanah PKR election machinery in Kuala Sungai Baru here on Sunday (Sept 20) night.
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Also present were the Prime Minister's political secretary Datuk Azman Abidin and acting Melaka PKR state leadership council chairman Adam Adli Abdul Halim.
Amirudin, who is Selangor Mentri Besar, said discussions on the matter were still at the state level, and that he needed to obtain more details on the outcome of the negotiations before referring it to the Pakatan central leadership.
He said that if the outcome was in line with Pakatan's needs and met current requirements, it would consider adopting such cooperation.
He added that Pakatan also wants Barisan Nasional to clarify its position on the possibility of cooperation in the state election, following the lack of any development on a meeting between the two coalitions so far.
Amirudin said Pakatan had no problem if Barisan was not interested, but wanted its position to be made known so that preparations could be made for the upcoming Melaka polls.
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"So far, there has been no indication of cooperation, even as we approach the dissolution of the state legislative assembly.
"Perhaps they are also not interested. So, there is no problem (if they are not); we will just proceed (without Barisan)," he said.
He added that Pakatan was prepared for various scenarios, including contesting on its own, forming a new alignment, or cooperating with Umno and Barisan.
"Whatever happens, as I have said, we are preparing for all scenarios. But Pakatan will not simply wait for developments in the negotiations," he said.
It was reported earlier that Melaka Pakatan was finalising negotiations with parties with similar aspirations, including Bersatu, to form a "PH Plus" collaboration to contest the upcoming Melaka polls. – Bernama
