BARISAN Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has endorsed Penang Umno’s decision to review the allocation of seats for BN parties in the state, following Gerakan’s exit from the pact.

This comes after state Umno chief Musa Sheikh Fadzir asked Zahid, who is also Umno president, for permission to take over six state seats that had been given to Gerakan.

“I endorse it. I agree with Musa’s request in principle. We allocated the seats for Gerakan, but for three straight terms, they did not manage to win.

“Of the 13 seats previously allotted to Gerakan, Umno is asking for six.

“So, together with the 15 seats traditionally contested by Umno, maybe the party can one day hold 21 seats in Penang,” he said during a roadshow with the state Umno grassroots in Seberang Jaya today.

Earlier, Musa asked the BN leadership to consider letting Umno take over some of Gerakan’s seats in Penang, where Malays comprise between 30% and 40% of the electorate.

“We would like to study three to six Gerakan seats. We will assign the respective divisions to study the seats.”

Traditionally, Gerakan, under BN, would contest 13 state seats of Penang’s 40. Umno would contest 15, while MCA and MIC would contest 10 and two seats, respectively.

In the last three general elections, Gerakan, MCA and MIC failed to win a single seat in the state. Umno fared better, winning 11 and 10 state seats in the 2008 and 2013 polls, respectively.

In the May 9 general election, however, the BN lynchpin’s seats were drastically reduced to just two. Pakatan Harapan won 37 state seats, and PAS, one.

At a press conference after the roadshow, Zahid said Umno will handle the matter “officially” when the time comes.

However, he urged the Penang chapter to start working now on the state seats it hopes to win in the next elections.

Zahid said the party will discuss parliamentary seats at another time should a similar request be made.

He said further discussions on seat allocations are needed as Umno and BN undergo a rebranding exercise.

Gerakan announced its exit from BN in June after the pact lost federal control for the first time in the nation’s history.

The party won 10 parliamentary seats in the 2004 general election – its best showing – before being left with only two in the 2008 polls and one in 2013. Gerakan won no seats on May 9. – November 4, 2018.