PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) have agreed to work together to face the upcoming state election in Sabah.
In a joint statement today, PH secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and unity government secretariat chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the agreement was reached during a meeting yesterday between Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who chairs PH, and BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
They said discussions on the form of cooperation, including seat distribution and possible talks with other parties, would be handled jointly by both the PH and BN leadership in Sabah.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});“All final decisions will be made by the top leaderships of PH and BN at the national level,” the statement said.
The announcement follows months of speculation over potential alliances ahead of the state election.
Last month, Sabah BN chairman Bung Mokthar Radin said his coalition would work with PH, a claim disputed by several DAP and PKR leaders who said no official talks had occurred with BN representatives.
BN and ruling state coalition Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) had both courted PH for a pact. GRS and PH are currently allies in the state government while BN sits in the opposition in the state assembly.
The term of the current state assembly expires on Nov 11 and an election must be held within 60 days of its dissolution. However, there has been talk that the election may be held in July or August.