KOTA KINABALU: The upcoming Negeri Sembilan State Election could serve as an important test of whether Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) are capable of forging a practical electoral understanding without entering into a formal political coalition, according to UMNO Sabah Treasurer Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Salleh Said Keruak in a social media posting.
Salleh said such an arrangement would allow both parties to avoid unnecessary multi-cornered contests, reduce vote splitting and enable the stronger party in each constituency to take the lead.
He noted that an electoral understanding would provide both BN and PN with greater flexibility, allowing them to maintain their respective political identities, leadership and policy positions while cooperating in constituencies where their electoral interests converge.
“For BN, cooperation with PN could potentially consolidate the Malay vote, particularly in constituencies where both parties traditionally compete for a similar voter base,” he said.
Commenting on Pakatan Harapan (PH), Salleh said the coalition operates under a different political dynamic, with its electoral strength, especially in urban constituencies and among non-Malay voters, depending significantly on the support commanded by DAP.
“As such, PH’s performance in the Negeri Sembilan election will also be influenced by DAP’s ability to retain the confidence of its core supporters,” he said.
Salleh, however, cautioned that the greatest challenge in any electoral understanding remained the issue of voter transferability.
He said an agreement reached by party leaders did not automatically guarantee that grassroots supporters would transfer their votes accordingly, given that BN, PN and PH each possess distinct political identities, historical backgrounds and voter expectations.
“The Negeri Sembilan election may therefore become an important indicator of whether political understanding is more practical than formal coalition-building,” he said.
Salleh added that the success of any such arrangement would ultimately depend on its ability to minimise vote splitting while ensuring that each party continued to enjoy the confidence and loyalty of its core supporters.-pr/BNN
