KELANTAN Bersatu leaders were upset as many of its representatives were not appointed as councillors and village heads after the party contributed to Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) massive victory in the state elections.

Pasir Mas Bersatu chief Che Johan Che Pa said the distribution of grassroots positions caused some disappointment within the party.

“We estimate only 10% was given to Bersatu for the positions of village chief and district councillor.”

He said only one or two Bersatu representatives have been appointed to district councils and only three were made village chiefs.

Twenty-two councillor positions are available for each of the 12 local authorities in Kelantan.

Johan said even though PAS was dominant in the state, it should be generous in distributing grassroots leadership posts.

“We understand PAS is dominant, but as a coalition partner the distribution of positions has to be balanced because the people, especially fence-sitters, will judge how (PAS) treats its partners.

“The same thing happened when seats from the state election were distributed. Bersatu should have gotten eight seats but it was reduced by six,” he said.

Bersatu requested the state government increase the party’s appointments to local authorities and Village Development and Security Committees, which have yet to be finalised.

The appointments came after PN stunning victories in Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu on August 12.

Bersatu has one member each on the Kelantan and Terengganu executive councils and three on the Kedah executive council.

In Kedah, positions in local authorities and village committees have yet to be distributed.

Kedah PAS election director Mohd Hilmi Abd Wahab said negotiations for local authority positions with Bersatu and Gerakan were almost complete.

Hilmi, who is also political secretary to Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, said 18 slots are available for councillor positions for each of the 12 local authorities in the state.

On the distribution of positions in village committees, Hilmi said negotiations will start this month.

In Terengganu, Bersatu leader Razali Ibrahim said his party agreed that three of its representatives should be appointed in each village committee.

Razali, who is also on the Terengganu executive council, said the state government has not started appointing new local authority members as existing councillors were still serving their terms. – September 12, 2023.