GEORGE TOWN: Penang Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional will hold further talks on seat allocations for the coming state polls, says Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir (pic).
The state Barisan chairman said both coalitions had yet to make a decision during the first meeting on May 1, on which party should contest the 15 Malay-majority seats.
“More discussions are needed to sort this out. We need more time to decide but I don’t foresee any problem in getting a win-win outcome as part of the unity government,” he said.
Describing the cooperation as “unprecedented”, Musa said there was a clear understanding and that all parties should work together to ensure success in the state polls.
“The recent meeting was very cordial as we exchanged views on how we could combine our strengths to ensure a clear victory.“The next round will likely involve other coalition members,” said Musa, who is also the state Umno chief.
The recent Umno-Pakatan meeting was described by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow as “historic” and that both coalitions should aim to win big and not contest against each other.
After the meeting, Chow said while Pakatan upholds the principle of the incumbent parties to contest the same seats it won in 2018, both Pakatan and Barisan agreed to “look beyond that principle” when necessary.
Chow also said they would continue to meet until all issues have been addressed, and that it was an ongoing process.
Separately, state MCA Youth leader Lim Swee Bok said the unity government would need the support of all in the coming elections to win big.
“We may not contest but exchanging ideas will be a good move to ensure that the unity government performs well.
“It would be good if both MCA and MIC are invited in the next round of meetings to discuss the seat allocation,” added Lim.
