Amanah secretary-general Faiz Fadzil has sought to ease tensions with Umno concerning seat allocations for the upcoming Melaka and Johor state elections, with Melaka polls expected this year.
Faiz clarified that statements made by state-level Amanah leaders were issued in their capacity as state chapter heads. He emphasised that the final decision on seat distributions rests with the party’s national leadership.
“The question of seat allocations would be discussed at certain levels but the decision will be made at the highest level. So there’s no need to worry,” he said, according to Utusan Malaysia.
Focusing on Unity and Key Seats
Faiz, who is also the Penang Amanah chief, stated that the core issue involves Malay-majority seats targeted by various Malay parties.
He said his priority is to maintain unity among government partners. This cohesion is crucial to ensure the current administration secures a second term in the next general election.
His comments follow a recent exchange of remarks between Umno and Amanah leaders regarding seats for the Melaka and Johor state elections.
Background of the Dispute
Johor Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Aminolhuda Hassan had earlier suggested a “free-for-all” contest to resolve the electoral cooperation deadlock with Barisan Nasional (BN) in the state.
In response, Johor Umno Youth challenged PH to name its menteri besar candidate for the Johor polls, given its apparent eagerness to contest against BN.
Amanah communications director Khalid Samad had also urged BN and Umno to hand over several seats they currently hold to other parties within the unity government for the upcoming state polls.
However, Umno Youth chief Akmal Saleh stated that PH should simply contest against BN in both state elections.
The BN-led Melaka state government includes PH, which holds a representative position in the state executive council.
In Johor, the state government is composed solely of BN assemblymen, with PH representatives serving as backbenchers in the state assembly.
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