SHAH ALAM: A coalition comprising Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional has the potential to win 53 of the 56 seats up for grabs in the Selangor state election this year, says PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli.
He said this projection was based on an early study of the 15th General Election (GE15) results which showed Pakatan had the edge in 40 state seats.
"Based on the (early) findings of GE15, PH is ‘secure’ in 40 seats. But if PH and BN team up, and there is ‘stability of vote’ among these parties, we can win 53 of the 56 state seats.
"However, we have to look at the people’s sentiment in the next six months and the issue of ‘transferability of vote’, apart from the implementation of several programmes and issues at the federal and Selangor levels,” he said.
Speaking to reporters after the Selangor PKR election convention here today (Jan 14), he, however, said Pakatan had yet to hold talks with Barisan regarding cooperation in the state election.
Rafizi, who is also PKR national election director, said Umno’s internal issues would not affect Pakatan’s preparations for six state elections, which are expected to be held together in the middle of this year.
"PH will proceed with its preparations, with the aim of retaining three states (Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Penang), and winning in traditional seats in Kedah,” he said.
Apart from Pakatan-ruled Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Penang, the PAS-led states of Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan are also scheduled to hold their state elections this year.
He said PKR would begin its election work in these six states after the Chinese New Year celebration at the end of this month.
On another matter, Rafizi said the party would lodge protests with the Election Commission if racial issues were raised during campaigns in the coming state polls.
However, Rafizi said the party would not pursue the issue of Pagoh MP Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s alleged racial statements in the GE15 campaign as it did not want to prolong such polemics.
On the sacking of former PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang, who is better known as Tian Chua, and four others from PKR, Rafizi said they could appeal to the party within 14 days for reinstatement.
"After studying their appeals, the appeals board will revert the matter to the central leadership council for the final decision. I think it is up to them to appeal directly to the president and so on; it’s their right.
"But we also have to be fair to all (others who were sacked) and the process is to go through the appeals board,” he said when commenting on the status of Tian Chua.
The former Batu MP was reported to be appealing directly to PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to forgive him and to accept him into the party again after he was expelled for contesting as an independent in GE15. - Bernama
