PETALING JAYA: A clash between Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Barisan Nasional (BN) in 27 parliamentary seats in the 15th general election is inevitable, a Bersatu leader said.
Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan said this was because BN linchpin Umno refused to negotiate with PN.
“We must remember that the cause of (potential) clashes and divisions stems from Umno’s refusal to discuss seat allocation,” Wan Saiful told FMT.
“With such an attitude, we have no choice (but to clash) because Umno has declared its position on the matter.”
Previously, a PAS leader said 27 seats had become “critical” following BN’s decision to not cooperate with PN.
PAS central working committee member Zuhdi Marsuki said the party had told Bersatu it should not clash with Umno in these seats to ensure that they did not fall into the hands of Pakatan Harapan (PH).
He said the seats involved 20 won by PH in 2018 against candidates from PAS and Umno, while the other seven were at risk of falling to PH because of the narrow defeats of PH candidates.
Wan Saiful said PN would be fielding candidates in all the 27 seats. He said the allocation of seats among the coalition’s component parties had been finalised and would be announced soon.
PN consists of Bersatu, PAS, Gerakan and Sabah-based parties STAR and SAPP.
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