KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional will finalise the form of political cooperation and the logo to be used for the Melaka state election after completing discussions with the relevant party leaders this week.
Melaka Barisan chief Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said Barisan would meet a potential political partner on Monday (Sept 28) at the Umno headquarters at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
The caretaker Melaka Chief Minister, however, declined to identify the coalition or party involved, saying several meetings were planned before Barisan determined its preferred partner.
“I will provide an update (after the first meeting tomorrow).
“There will be several more meetings, and I will bring the conclusions to the party’s political bureau before the matter is decided by the supreme council.
“We will examine and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each possible arrangement and determine what would benefit the party,” he said on Sunday (Sept 27).
Ab Rauf also maintained that the 21 state seats secured by Barisan in the 2021 Melaka election would form the basis of the negotiations.
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Meanwhile, Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confirmed that the coalition’s headquarters would hold two separate meetings this week to discuss possible cooperation for the Melaka election.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Umno president, said he had held preliminary discussions with the Melaka Umno liaison committee chairman to consider several options before bringing the proposals to the party’s top leadership.
"This week, we will hold discussions with several parties to determine which coalition or party we will work with in the election," he told a press conference after opening Parti Makkal Sakti Malaysia's 18th annual general assembly here on Sunday (Sept 27).
"We respect whatever decision they make and whichever logo or symbol they choose to use, and we will leave that to them.
"The outcome of the discussions will be brought before Umno's top leadership and the Barisan supreme council to finalise our political cooperation for the Melaka state election."
Also present was Makkal Sakti president Datuk Seri RS Thanenthiran.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, was responding to a recent statement by PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan on the possibility of Perikatan Nasional using the PAS logo in the state election if no agreement could be reached.
The Melaka State Legislative Assembly was dissolved with effect from Wednesday (Sept 23), paving the way for the 16th state election.
The Election Commission (EC) is scheduled to announce the dates for nomination, early voting and polling for the election on Oct 7. – Bernama
