IF anyone is wondering why the official election results slowed to a trickle last night, the answer is easy. Deals were being cut that could still see Barisan Nasional keep power, including in Putrajaya.

Insiders privy to the political backroom said the BN top leadership reached out to a number of veterans linked to Pakatan Harapan leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad for reconciliation and a safe exit.

But at the same time, they were also reaching out to PKR leaders for an alliance that would exclude Dr Mahathir in any future government.

The intense negotiations on many fronts came to the ears of Dr Mahathir who refused to take part in any negotiation, said insiders.

He told those reaching out to the opposition pact that they had won the general election and the political process must be respected. 

It was this scenario that slowed down the Election Commission (EC) announcing the results and prompted state leaders, such as Negri Sembilan’s Mohd Hassan, to baulk at conceding the results as an alliance was possible.

That was it until the national palace stepped in and told EC officials to announce the results once verified.

There was also talk of crisis management being imposed but cooler heads, such as Umno deputy president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and federal police chief Fuzi Harun, prevailed.

It is learnt that several concerned state rulers spoke among themselves when it seemed clear that BN had lost Putrajaya and would be in the opposition benches for the first time since Merdeka.

State leaders, such as Sarawak chief minister Abang Johari Openg, also told the senior BN leadership that the people’s will had to be respected. The Borneo state provides 31 lawmakers, 19 of which are from BN in GE14.

At this point, negotiations are still ongoing among political parties and with the national palace for the swearing-in that has been postponed for now. – May 10, 2018.