Kota Kinabalu: Former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak has urged political parties to prioritize winnability and coalition stability over individual party interests when negotiating seat allocations for the upcoming state election.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Salleh outlined a strategic approach to seat distribution, emphasizing a balanced strategy to maximize electoral success.
Salleh highlighted that seat allocation shouldn’t be solely based on party entitlement but on the potential for victory.
The process, he stressed, must consider past electoral performance, the strength of each party’s machinery, and prevailing public sentiment.
While parties with strong grassroots support should be given preference, seat allocations should be reevaluated if a party loses public trust or if a candidate changes allegiance.
The former Sabah Umno treasurer warned against the detrimental effects of intra-coalition competition.
He advocated for a single candidate per constituency to prevent vote-splitting and inadvertently benefitting the opposition.
He suggested that internal surveys, seat swaps, and collaborative campaign strategies could effectively resolve disputes over overlapping claims.
Where two parties contest the same seat, data-driven decision-making and fair solutions, such as offering alternative seats or consolidating support behind a single candidate, are crucial, he added.
Beyond party politics, Salleh, also a former Communications and Multimedia Minister, emphasized the importance of fielding credible candidates with strong grassroots support and a proven record of public service.
He further stressed the need for coordinated seat distribution efforts between federal and state levels to ensure broader coalition stability.
A robust dispute resolution mechanism is essential to prevent seat allocation conflicts from undermining the coalition’s unity, he concluded.