S’gor Pakatan: We have three weeks to decide
KLANG: Selangor Pakatan Harapan insists it has three more weeks to settle the seat distribution issue that has been plaguing its coalition members.
If the four partner parties – PKR, DAP, Amanah and Pribumi – are not able to settle the matter by then, it will be pushed to the Pakatan presidential council for an amicable solution, said Selangor PKR information chief Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei.
The Pakatan presidential council meeting will be held today but Mat Shuhaimi said the matter need not go to the national leadership and could be settled at state level.
“Be patient. Do not underestimate Azmin Ali’s ( PKR deputy president and Selangor mentri besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali) ability. He has been the mastermind behind the seat allocations for several general elections and he knows what to do,’’ said Mat Shuhaimi, adding that he believed the “elections isn’t going to be next week”.
He also said it was quite common for 10% of seats to be allocated to the parties only after the Parliament and state assemblies are dissolved.
According to Mat Shuhaimi, one of the reasons for the problem in the negotiations was the lack of experience by those representing new parties Amanah and Pribumi.
“Even many of those negotiating for DAP are inexperienced,” he said.
Seat allocation, said Mat Shuhaimi, was also a strategy which could decide victory or defeat.
“For example, if a seat is being contested by an MIC candidate, it does not mean PKR must contest there.
“The DAP may have a more suitable candidate,’’ said Mat Shuhaimi.
A Pakatan insider said DAP has reduced its demand for eight additional seats to two.
“DAP is now only asking for Templer and Dusun Tua as extra seats,’’ said the insider.
Incumbents Zaidy Abdul Talib and Razaly Hassan are both from PAS.
PKR and Pibumi are both fighting for the Bukit Melawati seat held by Barisan’s Jakiran Jacomah.
PKR won the seat in the 2008 polls but lost it in 2013.