Sabah polls: Umno, BN seat allocation under negotiation committee

New Straits Times

2 days ago

SEREMBAN: The number of seats to be contested by Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno in the upcoming Sabah election will depend on the formula to be decided by the negotiation committee with Pakatan Harapan (PH).
BN deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the coalition had appointed the BN secretary-general and the Umno secretary-general to hold discussions with its unity government counterparts on seat negotiations.
He added that, so far, BN and PH had agreed to work together in the election, but his party remained open to other options and possible cooperation with different parties.
"It is up to the negotiation committee to decide on the formula and the number of seats that Umno and BN will contest.
"I hope a decision can be reached soon, as the election is drawing near.
"This matter is also important so that our machinery clearly understands the party's direction in facing the Sabah poll," he told reporters here today.
It was reported that efforts to form an electoral pact among BN, PH and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) for the state election, expected this October, appeared increasingly difficult as seat allocation negotiations remained deadlocked.
Yesterday, Wanita GRS chief Datuk Seri Azizah Dun stressed that the Sabah-based political coalition, comprising eight component parties, would defend the 39 seats it had previously won.
Meanwhile, Mohamad, who is also foreign minister, stressed that Umno and BN would remain firm in contesting the seats they had won in the previous election, as well as reclaiming those given to Bersatu.
"The seats we gave to Bersatu will be taken back, because during the last Sabah election, we surrendered traditional seats to the party on the understanding that we were together.
"But we were stabbed in the back, so we do not want the same thing to happen again," he said, adding that Umno and BN must reassert themselves as the dominant party in Sabah after the election.