BERSATU wants to contest up to 50 out of the 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat as Putrajaya ramps up preparations for snap elections this year, sources told The Malaysians Insight.

Sources said this was discussed at a meeting between Bersatu and PAS leaders in Putrajaya on June 1

“PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang was told to prepare for snap elections this year,” one source told The Malaysian Insight.

“In the meeting, Bersatu said it plans to contest as many as 50 out of the 222 seats.

“But PAS hasn’t decided on how many seats it will give up to Bersatu as some of the seats overlap with the party’s.”

The party source said PAS is willing to let Bersatu defend the seats it has.

“But which seats? The ones they won in GE14? Or the ones they added from Umno and PKR?” said the source.

Currently, Bersatu has 33 MPs after last month’s sacking of Dr Mahathir Mohamad (Langkawi), Mukhriz Mahathir (Jerlun), Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman (Muar), Dr Maszlee Malik (Simpang Renggam) and Amiruddin Hamzah (Kubang Pasu).

Bersatu’s 33 MPs consist of seven who won under the Pakatan Harapan ticket in 2018, 15 from Umno and 11 PKR dissidents.

The seven original Bersatu MPs are Tambun, Titiwangsa, Kuala Pilah, Alor Gajah, Pagoh, Sri Gading and Sg Besar.

Following the change in governments in February, Bersatu added 11 from PKR – Nibong Tebal, Indera Mahkota, Gombak, Ampang, Bandar Tun Razak, Segamat, Batu Pahat in the peninsula and Ranau, Puncak Borneo, Saratok and Lubuk Antu in Sabah.

The biggest bloc of 15 from Umno are Tanah Merah, Jeli, Hulu Terengganu, Tasek Gelugor, Larut, Bagan Serai, Bukit Gantang, Sabak Bernam, Masjid Tanah and Mersing in Peninsular Malaysia and Kudat, Beaufort, Sipitang, Beluran and Libaran in Sabah.

Among these seats, Tanah Merah, Jeli, Hulu Terengganu, Indera Mahkota, Bukit Gantang and Titiwangsa are those that PAS won before or keenly contested in previous elections.

The Malaysian Insight has tried to verify with various PAS leaders but they neither deny nor confirm details of the June 1 meeting.

One former PAS election strategist said: “I cannot say more”.

Following the meeting on June 1, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said in a statement that the party is confident that the Perikatan Nasional parties are ready to finalise seat allocations to face GE15.

Similarly, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Facebook  the party is prepared for elections, after meeting Umno advisory board chairman Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah on Thursday.

Meanwhile, several Perikatan Nasional sources told The Malaysian Insight that the three-month-old government is preparing to hold snap elections this year despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The government knows that its majority is too thin, with just 115.

“Besides the threat that it can be overturned, it will be very hard for the government to function properly in Parliament with that slim majority. As such, the higher-ups have decided to go for snap elections this year,” said a senior Putrajaya officer.

Putrajaya has commissioned two independent surveys to gauge voter sentiment and demands ahead of elections, he said.

Singapore’s Straits Times reported yesterday that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is gearing up for snap polls this year to end doubts over his mandate amid accusations that PN is a “back-door” government that lacks a parliamentary majority.

With the federal legislature’s meetings in March postponed and the one-day sitting on May 18 ending without any debate, Muhyiddin’s majority has yet to be tested, although there were 114 MPs who sat in the government bench during the Agong’s 45-minute opening speech.

Quoting sources, ST reported that the Bersatu president made his intentions clear at its supreme council meeting on June 4 and has followed up by briefing divisional chiefs in several meetings over subsequent days. – June 13, 2020.