Malaysia GE15: Perikatan Nasional seeks to win all 8 Negeri Sembilan federal seats

NILAI, Negeri Sembilan: Perikatan Nasional (PN) will contest all the eight parliamentary seats in Negeri Sembilan and it is confident of winning all of them in the coming 15th General Election (GE15), said its state advisor Dr Rais Yatim on Thursday (Nov 3). 

Dr Rais told reporters that PN aims to dominate all the eight parliamentary seats in Negeri Sembilan, so that it can help to change the federal government in Putrajaya. 

“PN's stance is that we must change the government according to the will of the people, in accordance to the good values ​​they believe in, including against corrupt practices that must be eradicated if Malaysia wants to be back on the global map," Dr Rais was quoted as saying by Berita Harian. 

He was speaking to reporters at an announcement ceremony of PN’s GE15 parliamentary candidates for Negeri Sembilan. 

According to Dr Rais, PN which is led by former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has become more energetic to contest in GE15, adding that PN has also become more acceptable by the voters. 

In GE15, PN has confirmed that it will field eight candidates for all the federal seats in Negeri Sembilan. Four of the candidates will be from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), three from Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) and one from Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan). 

In the 2018 general election, Bersatu while contesting under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition fielded two candidates, but only won one seat. PAS fielded eight candidates but did not win any seat. 

In Perak, PN has announced that it will contest all the 59 seats in the state. In GE15, only three states: Perak, Penang and Pahang will have concurrent state elections to elect new members of their respective legislative assemblies.  

According to a Bernama report, Perak PN secretary Zainol Fadzi Paharudin said Bersatu will vie for 26 seats, while PAS and Gerakan will contest 24 and nine seats, respectively.

Before the dissolution of the Perak state assembly, PN held only eight state seats whereas BN held the majority of 25 seats. 

Separately, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang announced on Thursday night that several axed BN members will be defending their parliamentary seats as PN candidates.  

Among them are caretaker federal territories minister Shahidan Kassim and caretaker deputy minister of housing and local government Ismail Abdul Muttalib who will contest in Arau, Perlis and Maran, Pahang respectively. 

Mr Shahidan said that he chose to represent PN as Mr Abdul Hadi understood his stand, adding that both of them had always remained friends despite having differences of opinion.

“I yearn for the unity of the ummah (Muslim community). I want PAS and UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) in Arau to support me. Let Muafakat Nasional (the mutual cooperation between UMNO and PAS) begin in Arau,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama. 

Mr Shahidan who was dropped from the list of Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates on Tuesday, made a surprise appearance at the announcement of PN candidates in Marang, Terengganu on Thursday night. 

On Wednesday, Mr Shahidan said that he wants to be the model to Muafakat Nasional (MN) and those from UMNO should support him because it was his Arau BN’s election machinery that made the effort to make the MN collaboration a success. 

According to Bernama, Mr Abdul Hadi has said that more BN leaders have expressed their interest in becoming PN candidates in the coming polls.

He added that PN was processing their applications and would announce their names on Nomination Day on Saturday.

In a Facebook post, PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin emphasised the need for PN component parties to close ranks and cooperate in order to emerge victorious in GE15. 

“This desire will not be achieved if each party moves alone and not in one congregation. Thus I emphasise the need for cooperation among the parties to create one large congregation to lead the country,” said Mr Muhyiddin. 

“We must not let Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan come back to power. The people must ensure that any covert plans by them (BN and PH)  to come together to form the government after the election will not happen.”

More than 21 million people will cast their ballots in Malaysia’s GE15 to elect 222 new members of the Lower House of parliament. 

The Election Commission has fixed Polling Day on Nov 19 and Nomination Day on Nov 5.