The distribution of seats and the choice of a prime ministerial candidate are among the key issues that Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Barisan Nasional (BN) need to resolve early if they hope to build a stronger alliance ahead of the 16th general election, analysts said.
Tawfik Yaakub of Universiti Malaya said both coalitions should settle these matters well in advance, as a general election is far more complex, involving 222 parliamentary seats and the interests of parties at both the national and state levels.
“If this cooperation is to be taken to the next level in GE16, BN and PN need to decide early on who their prime ministerial candidate will be, how the seats will be divided and what common policies they intend to offer,” he told FMT.
Need for early agreement
Tawfik was commenting on Wawasan president Hamzah Zainudin’s call for BN and PN to establish a common plan and agenda from the outset if they want their alliance to become stronger and more stable.
The PN deputy chairman said previous governments involving BN and PN had been formed without prior planning, making it difficult for the parties to develop mutual trust.
Hamzah said such advance planning should also include a seat allocation formula acceptable to both sides and should not be limited to the Melaka state election.
Previous BN-PN cooperation
BN and PN previously joined forces to form the federal government from March 2020 to November 2022 under the administrations of Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Their cooperation resurfaced in the Negeri Sembilan state election earlier this month, where they won 25 of the 36 state seats and subsequently formed the state government.
Avoiding post-election conflict
Meanwhile, Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said seat negotiations and a political understanding should be finalised before GE16 to prevent disputes from being addressed only after the election results are known.
He warned that forming a government on an ad hoc basis after an election could lead to cooperation being forged under “forced” circumstances and was likely to create dissatisfaction among the parties involved.
