BERSATU is not primed for the general election unlike PAS and Umno which are even now ready to roll, said a party leader.

Selangor Bersatu treasurer Mohd Shaid Rashid told The Malaysian Insight the party was in a dilemma because many of its seats were wrested from Umno in the last polls.

The Jeram assemblyman said the Perikatan Nasional parties have not reached an understanding  in regards to seat allocation.

He predicted that the distribution of seats among the allies would be a thorny issue as Umno and PAS would want the bigger share of the Malay-majority ones.

“Where is PN contesting? Traditionally, Umno, PAS and Bersatu contest the Malay seats. Can we (Bersatu) get 50 parliamentary seats to contest?” said Shaid.

“We can propose but how many will we actually get? We haven’t any Chinese and Indian candidates so we can only contest in the Malay areas. But PAS also wants to contest in Malay areas.”

He was commenting on news reports that Bersatu has asked to contest 50 seats amid talk of a snap election.

“Who will want to sacrifice (their seats for the other parties)? Umno wants to win in Malay areas as they cannot win in non-Malay areas.

“There will be infighting among one another, especially on the peninsula where there are only about 60 Malay-majority seats,” Shaid said.

Shaid is among the Bersatu assemblymen in Selangor who remain loyal to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, amid a bitter power struggle between the former party chairman and party president Muhyiddin Yassin.

Shaid said that in the 2018 elections, when Bersatu was with Pakatan Harapan, the party was allotted 52 seats to contest, almost 90% of which were in Umno strongholds.

“We contested in Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu but have no seats to show for it. We won on the west coast. So why would those who won on the east coast give up their seats for us.”

He did not think Bersatu would surrender the seats it had won from Umno either.

PAS and Umno, meanwhile, are geared for a snap election.

While Bersatu struggles to find its place in PN, grassroots leaders of Umno and PAS are looking forward to the dissolution of parliament.

“Only a general election can end all the uncertainties,” said Permatang Pauh Umno division chief Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said.

“The people are ready for a general election. The majority want GE15 now. The people are worried about this neverending turmoil,” he said.

Penang PAS Youth information chief Hanif Haron believes elections will show that the people support the PN government.

“An election is the way out of this current uncertainty. It is for the benefit of the people. From the standpoint of the people, it is clear that PN has enough support for an election.”

Taman Bandar Baru Umno Youth chief Muhammad Farhan Ahmad said the grassroots are aiming for a bigger mandate.

“The grassroots are ready. Because of the political instability in Malaysia, the grassroots expect elections to be called anytime. It’s time to get a bigger mandate.” – June 16, 2020.