Perikatan Nasional (PN) could see its chances of winning in Perak rise to about 75 per cent if it reaches an electoral pact with Barisan Nasional (BN), said PN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.
He said cooperation between PN and BN could also help the two coalitions win at least six state seats currently held by Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the next election.
Samsuri said PN’s current chances of winning in Perak were estimated at 48 per cent.
He said the figure could rise significantly if PN and BN worked together, mainly because their votes would be combined and three-cornered fights could be reduced to straight contests.
Based on PN’s analysis, he said a PN-BN alliance could win between 32 and 38 of the 59 state seats in Perak, while PH could secure between 21 and 27.
The six PH-held seats seen as having the strongest potential to change hands were Tualang Sekah, Hulu Kinta, Tebing Tinggi, Sungai Rapat, Hutan Melintang and Teja.
“The first is N.43 Tualang Sekah, which is currently held by PKR. That has the highest ranking.
“Second is N.24 Hulu Kinta, third N.26 Tebing Tinggi, represented by DAP, fourth N.44 Sungai Rapat (Amanah), fifth N.54 Hutan Melintang (PKR) and sixth N.46 Teja, which is currently a PKR seat,” he said when opening the 23rd Perak Pas Convention at a hotel here today.
Samsuri said several other seats, including Sungai Manik, Changkat Jong and Sungkai, could also be won by PN-BN if their votes were combined
However, he acknowledged that cooperation between PN and BN would not be easy.
He said one challenge was the possibility that some PN supporters might not vote for BN candidates, and vice versa.
Both sides would also need to carefully decide which party should contest each seat to avoid splitting their support, he said.
“If cooperation takes place, BN may ask to contest certain seats. This is where we need to look at our strengths and determine why a particular seat should be contested by us rather than others,” he said.
Speaking to reporters later, Samsuri said PN and BN would need to adopt a “give and take” approach if they wanted to work together.
He said both sides should sit down and discuss their priorities, with the main aim of ensuring a stable government.
“As long as we can sit down and discuss, I think that is the best thing to achieve. The most important thing is to ensure the stability of the government that will be formed, whether at the state or national level,” he said.
Samsuri also said political conditions differed from one state to another.
He said factors such as geography and local political dynamics must be considered when deciding how PN and BN would cooperate and divide seats.
“The political dynamics are very unique. They are not only time-based but also geographical-based. So, the model for each state will certainly be different. Until we sit down and decide, anything can happen,” he said. NST
