The Malaysian Insight

BARISAN Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) are still negotiating over two state seats in Terengganu ahead of the state elections expected in August, party sources said.

PH sources said talks are ongoing over the Bandar seat in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary constituency and Chukai in Kemaman.

A source told The Malaysian Insight that Umo, PKR and Amanah are eyeing the Bandar.

“DAP also wanted Bandar but bowed out,” he said.

He said PKR wants the Chukai state seat but Barisan Nasional has asked the party led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stay out of the elections in Kemaman.

PKR sources said the party is demanding the seat is because it believes it has a high chance of winning it.

“PKR has won a seat in Kuala Terengganu before. That is why the party feel it has a chance there,” he said, referring to Abd Rahman Yusof, who won the Kemaman parliamentary seat in 1999.

“We could even say that the PKR machinery in Chukai (is stronger) than in Kuala Terengganu.

“But because Kemaman is the the stronghold of former menteri besar and Umno chairman Ahmad Said, BN has asked that PH candidates stay out of the parliamentary constituency,” he said.

PKR is also confident of winning Bandar, he added, because of the high number of Chinese voters in the seat.

“Personally, I think that if PH were to win anything in Terengganu, it would be these two seats,” he said.

Another party source said the election seat consultation committee for BN and PH has decided that the latter would only contest in six seats.

This was disappointing for PKR, which had wanted 11 seats, said the source.

The source said Terengganu PKR was hoping to place a candidate to stand in Bandar because it was confident of winning the seat.

“Even though we lost the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat in 2018, poll data from the voting district centre (PDM) showed that nearly 85% of the Chinese voters there supported us,” he said.

In 2018, PAS took the Bandar seat through Ahmad Shah Muhamed, who won by 2,091 votes.

The Bandar seat has the largest number of Chinese voters in Terengganu, at 35%, data from the Election Commission (EC) showed.

Chukai is held by Hanafiah Mat, who is also a Terengganu exco. He defeated the BN-Umno candidate in 2018 by 4,881 votes.

A source said PH is demanding Bandar Batu Buruk, Bukit Payong, Tepoh, Jabi, Kota Putera, and Sura.

But PH’s priorities are Bandar and Chukai, he said.

PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said talks over the distribution of seats in Terengganu are still ongoing.

“I will try my best to get the Bandar seat for PKR.

“We have to understand that the negotiations are different now because we are negotiating with Umno.

“The seat negotiation is very complex, we have to make sure that the seat we are asking for is a winnable seat. That’s a condition in the state election,” he said.

The natural resources, environment and climate change minister urged PKR members to trust the party leadership to resolve the issue.

“Give us a little more time to resolve this issue. We are also planning to negotiate for more seats for PH.

“We believe the negotiations will be completed in a week or two,” Nik Nazmi added.

Penang, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu, and Kelantan will also hold elections soon. – June 21, 2023.