PAKATAN Harapan (PH) will be focusing on urban seats in the state elections in Kelantan and Terengganu while its new ally, Barisan Nasional (BN), will continue to bank on the rural constituencies.

This is the understanding state leaders of both coalitions agreed upon in their initial discussions to ensure a straight fight against Perikatan Nasional (PN).

PN, with PAS in the forefront, wields a high influence in the two states while PH and BN have had a bad run in the general election last November.

Earlier, in the 2018 general election, BN, PH and PAS were running against each other, causing multi-cornered contests.

Kelantan PH elections director Wan Abdul Rahim Wan Abdullah said the pact is targeting urban seats.

“Kelantan PH wants to concentrate in the urban areas such as Kota Baru. For example, in Kota Lama, PH got the second highest number of votes (in the 2018 polls).

“The margin of victory (for PAS) was not large, only a difference of 1,445 votes. But due to the three-cornered competition, the votes were split with BN.

“So we hope the Kota Lama situation does not happen again,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

The move could open up a greater chance of victory if votes are no longer split, he said.

“There are state seats won by PAS in Kelantan with less than 50% (votes) in the 2018 election due to the split between BN and PH,” he said.

“But if there is no division of votes, with only one against one, then our chances of winning through this cooperation will be higher.”

Wan Rahim said PH and BN have also agreed to field candidates in the constituencies previously contested or won by each party.

“In Kelantan, the situation is clear. All parties agreed to retain the seats won in the last general election,” he said.

“Umno won eight seats in Kelantan, so in general before careful negotiations, that is the basis we respect that the eight seats belong to Umno.

“The parties (in PH and BN) will not be greedy. This means that in Kelantan, we can say Umno will control the most number of seats in the state polls.”

On the BN-PH relationship, the former Kelantan PH chairman said he is confident both parties can overcome any challenges.

This includes a warning not to collaborate by Kelantan Umno after Amanah leaders objected efforts to seek a royal pardon for jailed former prime minister Najib Razak.

Ending a dreadful run

In Terengganu, PH leaders are also demanding to compete in urban areas and are confident of achieving a comfortable victory through a one-on-one approach.

Terengganu Amanah youth leader Zamir Ghazali said PH is confident of winning mixed seats in urban areas, especially through the understanding with BN.

However, negotiations may take longer in Terengganu because Umno and PH have both expressed interest in rural seats.

Zamir expected “clashes” in several seats given the equal strength between PH and Umno in those areas.

“In my reading, there are five or 10 seats such as Ajil, Jabi and Ladang, where the margin of PAS winning is not large,” he said.

“At the same time, even PH does not have a large margin of losing votes to BN. So this negotiation will take a little longer.

“The message is, seats like these can be won by parties in the unity government.”

However, he is confident this is only a small matter.

He said both PH and BN are hoping to take over the state administration from PAS, although PH has set a more specific target of winning seats in the state.

“It is indeed a big target to take over the Terengganu administration from PAS. Umno also has that ambition. That is our big target,” he said.

“But PH’s original ambition is to win our first seat in Terengganu after GE13 (2013 general election),” he said.

PH managed to win its first state seat in 2013 through PKR candidate Azan Ismail.

However, Azan, who is also Terengganu PKR chairman, lost his Bandar seat to a PAS candidate in 2018. – May 9, 2023.