NEGRI Sembilan will be Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) front line in the 14th general election (GE14), the opposition pact’s deputy president Mohamad Sabu said.

Mohamad, who is also Amanah president, said PH is targeting to wrest the state from Barisan Nasional (BN).

“In GE14, Negeri Sembilan is the state that we are targeting to take over, apart from retaining Penang and Selangor.

“It’s one of the states that we will wrest from BN,” he told a press conference after attending a meeting between PH’s top leadership with the coalition’s state leadership in Senawang, Negri Sembilan.

The meeting was also attended by PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Bersatu deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir and state DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke.

He said with Dr Mahathir Mohamad leading the opposition pact, more Malays had shifted their support to the opposition coalition.

“In 2013, there was a decrease in Malay support because of racial issues that were played up leading up to the election.

“But now with the unity of four parties and Dr Mahathir’s presence, we can see that Malays are with PH now, and the obvious changes can be seen especially among Felda settlers,” Mohamad, who is popularly known as Mat Sabu, said.

PKR has been tasked to lead the opposition pact in the state, contesting 12 state constituencies, followed by DAP (11), Amanah (7) and Bersatu (6).

PKR candidates will stand in Jeram Padang, Sikamat, Ampangan, Juasseh, Pilah, Labu, Rantau, Chuah, Linggi, Port Dickson, Gemas and Sungai Liu.

DAP, meanwhile, will contest in Chennah, Bahau, Nilai, Lobak, Temiang, Bukit Kepayang, Rahang, Mambau, Senawang, Lukut and Repah.

Amanah will contest in Serting, Klawang, Johol, Paroi, Senaling, Lenggeng and Kota seats and Bersatu will field its candidates in Paloh, Sri Menanti, Chembong, Gemencheh, Pertang and Bagan Pinang.

Mat Sabu, however, said PH’s menteri besar candidate for Negri Sembilan hasn’t been decided.

“We still have time, for now the only candidates that we have is Dr Mahathir for the prime minister’s post and Dr Wan Azizah (Wan Ismail) for deputy prime minister’s post,” he said.

In GE13, the now-defunct Pakatan Rakyat won 14 state seats in Negri Sembilan. – March 18, 2018.