Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir. -filepic
GEORGE TOWN: MCA will be included in seat negotiations between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan in Penang, says Penang Barisan chairman Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir.
He said Penang MCA chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng was right to say that seat allocation talks between the two coalitions should include all component parties.
“Definitely Barisan, including MCA, will be in the discussions, but not right now.
“We have two steps. The first step is to discuss the Malay areas which Umno contested before. Then we will do the second step for Barisan [as a whole],” he said when contacted.
Musa said the meeting between Pakatan component parties and Umno this week is merely the first step of the negotiations.
This would involve PKR, Amanah and Umno to allocate the Malay seats in the state, he said.
“After that, we will discuss with MCA and MIC. There is no problem,” he said.
Barisan has two assemblymen – both from Umno – in the 40-seat Penang legislative assembly.
Tan has been reported as saying that seat allocation talks between Pakatan and Barisan should include all component parties of the coalitions.
He said this in response to a statement by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and state Pakatan chairman that they would meet Umno representatives this week to discuss seat allocations.
Tan was of the view that such a meeting was not in line with the spirit of the unity government, adding that all component parties should be included in such important discussions.
In a statement on Friday, Tan who is also MCA vice-president, said that any discussion should include every component party of the unity government, in order to maintain the integrity and trust between the parties.
