PAKATAN Harapan (PH) is confident of winning Malacca despite being involved in three-cornered fights with Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN), PKR information chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin said.

The situation at state polls is a repetition of what happened at the 14th general election where there were numerous three-cornered fights between PH, BN and PAS.

PAS had joined Bersatu to form PN and for the first time, since the 1974 general polls, did not contest under its own banner.

“Three-cornered fights are going to take place because the other two (BN and PN) are in the same coalition at federal level,” Shamsul said.

“BN and PN are both coalitions in government at the national level, but at the state level, they are competing with each other,” he said.

At the 14th general election, PH won six state seats but with a smaller number of votes than the joint number of votes obtained by BN and PAS candidates.

The six seats were Gadek, Durian Tunggal, Klebang, Duyong, Telok Mas and Bemban.

Shamsul, who is contesting as a PH candidate in the Paya Rumput state seat, hoped PH will be the voters’ choice.

He said on paper, at least, PH has the advantage because of the expected split votes and the people’s confidence in pact.

“This is important because voters in Malacca are smart. Malacca is not in the list where there will be changes,” he said.

Malacca was among the states won by PH in GE14. It was, however, retaken by BN following political turmoil in February last year, known as the Sheraton Move, which toppled the PH government in Putrajaya and four states including Johor, Perak and Kedah.

Shamsul said a split between PN and BN would give PH the advantage but at the same time, voters are also discerning and not afraid to express their objections.

“I think in this election, PH should mobilise its entire machinery, ideas and manifestos so that it can influence the people,” he said, adding that the challenge posed by BN and PN should not be taken lightly.

PN, PH and BN are contesting in all 28 seats, with two sub-parties, Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional (Iman) contesting one seat while Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) led by Ibrahim Ali, contesting five seats.

A total of 11 seats will see three-cornered fights while nine seats will see four-cornered contests, with five seats seeing five-cornered fights in five seats and three seats will have six parties contesting.

A total of 22 independent candidates will participate in the state polls, which is set to take place on November 20. – November 9, 2021.