IT is not true that Muda has agreed to continue working with Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the state elections, the youth-based party’s information chief Luqman Long said today.

He said Muda has not agreed to any form of cooperation with PH for the polls, adding that negotiations between Muda and PH had never started.

“Until today, there has been no negotiation between Muda and PH regarding strategic cooperation, the number of seats and areas,” Luqman said in a statement today.

This comes after Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, who is also Selangor PH chairman, said Muda would continue working with PH, in line with the understanding reached during last November’s general election.

Luqman dismissed Amirudin’s statement, saying it was intended to confuse the voters.

“The statement is the personal perception of the Selangor menteri besar,” he said.

“It is clearly intended to mislead voters and really disrespects Muda.”

He said any decision or announcement regarding the state elections involving Muda would only be made by the party and not PH.  

In the general election, PH formed an electoral pact with Muda.

In its maiden federal polls, Muda contested six parliamentary seats and won one, by Muar incumbent MP and Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

Muda applied to join the coalition last year before the general election.  

Prior to the November 19 polls, PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim said it would be difficult to bring Muda in as PH’s fifth component party as it would require the approval of the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

Upon winning the general election and forming the government, PH secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he was too busy with his ministerial duties to read Muda’s application letter.

Muda was left out of two unity government secretariat meetings, but was invited to attend the National Unity Government Convention last month.

To date, the PH leadership has yet to make a decision on Muda’s application to be part of the coalition, despite the party’s continued request for an answer. – June 20, 2023.