NEGOTIATION for seats to contest in the coming Sarawak elections has yet to start, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin said today.

His confirmation comes amid reported rumblings of unhappiness among Sarawak Pakatan Harapan (PH) parties over it.

The state election is only due in 2021 but is widely speculated to be called next year.

Muhyiddin, speaking in a media conference in Kuching this afternoon, also said Bersatu has not yet decided on the number of seats they want to contest.

A PH source recently said that Bersatu had “unofficially and ridiculously” asked for 15 seats in Malay and Malay-Melanau-majority constituencies.

There are 31 Malay and Malay-Melanau-majority constituencies in the 82-seat assembly.

“We are still working out the figures,” Muhyiddin, who is also the home minister, said.

“We are a new party in Sarawak so we have to negotiate with the rest to give up some seats, appropriate seats, so we can help strengthen PH’s position in the state.”

He was here on a working visit after attending the Harapan Sarawak Baru dinner last night.

The PH parties expected to give up the seats to Bersatu are PKR and Amanah.

“Are they ready to contest the election? Why are they asking for more than half of the Malay, Malay-Melanau seats?” the source told The Malaysian Insight.

“If they asked for five, maybe that is reasonable and we could definitely consider it.

“Fifteen? Ridiculous.”

Last night, Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian said his party would consider any requests “if they are feasible”.

He said he did not see any problem considering such a request “if there are merits in it.”

The Sarawak PH leadership is expected to call a meeting soon and Bersatu is expected to make its formal request.

Meanwhile, Bersatu is chugging along in the state having only managed to register six divisions.

That is short of the target of 12 by July 20 Bersatu Sarawak co-ordinator Mohamad Redzuan Yusof had set.

Earlier this month, he said the party had targeted divisions up and running in Kuching, Santubong, Stampin, Kota Samarahan, Bintulu, Sri Aman, Sibuti, Julau, Mukah, Rejang, Limbang and Saratok.

However, only Santubong, Stampin, Sri Aman, Saratok, Kota Samarahan and Bintulu divisions have received the nod from the Registrar of Societies (RoS).

Sarawak Bersatu’s interim secretary Jaziri Alkaf Suffian told reporters after Sarawak party leaders met with Muhyiddin this morning that the other six divisions would be registered “latest within the next six months”.

In his press conference, Muhyiddin said Bersatu was in no hurry to set up the other divisions.

One division normally represents one parliamentary constituency.

Sarawak has 32 parliamentary constituencies. – July 29, 2019.