PUTRAJAYA, Sept 2 — Barisan Nasional (BN) has mobilised its election machinery at all 73 Sabah State Legislative Assembly constituencies in preparation for the upcoming 17th State Election.
BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that BN is currently scrutinising the state constituencies that it has the potential to win in the state election.
“We have mobilised the preparedness of our machinery throughout the 73 state constituencies in Sabah and are looking at areas that we will focus on in Sabah,” he said after attending the monthly gathering of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) here today.
Asked about negotiations between BN and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) for the state polls, Ahmad Zahid said it has yet to be finalised.
“We have strengthened and finalised negotiations with Pakatan Harapan (PH) but not with GRS.
“We respect the cooperation between PH and GRS… what’s important is victory. So, we will focus more on the seats we can win – that’s our target,” he said.
The 16th Sabah State Legislative Assembly will be automatically dissolved on Nov 11 if it is not dissolved earlier, thus paving the way for the 17th state polls.
Previously, Unity Government Secretariat chief Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and PH secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said in a joint statement that PH and BN had agreed to cooperate in facing the next Sabah state election.
Regarding PAS‘ invitation to MIC and MCA to join Perikatan Nasional (PN), Ahmad Zahid, who is also UMNO president, described the statement by PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man as “his personal statement”.
“I know they are making efforts to lure BN component parties with offers that do not necessarily promise any meaningful gains,” he said.
Previously, Tuan Ibrahim, through an interview with a local newspaper, welcomed MIC and MCA to join PN following apparent dissatisfaction among BN component parties over their exclusion from government representation. — Bernama
