GEORGE TOWN – Although seat negotiations for the upcoming Sabah elections will be led by the state chapters of Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN), the final decision will be made collectively with input from national leadership, says PH secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The two coalitions agreed earlier this month to partner for the Sabah elections.
However, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim – who is also PH chairman – has proposed a grand alliance between PH, BN and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), which he said is key to maintaining political stability both nationally and in Sabah.
Saifuddin said that in an informal meeting chaired by Anwar last week, both PH and BN agreed to first discuss seats traditionally held by either coalition, excluding those held by GRS.
“Negotiations for seats traditionally contested by PH will start now. That was the decision,” he said during a press conference after the 235th Prisons Day celebration at Padang Kota Lama here.
“There are 73 seats in Sabah. We’re discussing traditional seats not involving GRS, though GRS may later express interest in some. But we’re not at that stage yet.
“If a seat was traditionally held by BN and challenged by PH in the past – but not by other parties – then those are the seats we will discuss.”
Responding to a question on Sabah PH’s autonomy in seat talks, Saifuddin said the discussions would be led by the state chapters.
“But the final decision will be made collectively with national leadership,” he added.
Formal and informal talks
On seat negotiations involving GRS following Anwar’s proposal, Saifuddin said there would be both formal and informal processes.
In the formal talks, all three coalitions will list the seats they want to contest. Seats will then be categorised based on whether they involve no clashes, three-way clashes, or contests between BN and PH only.
“We will handle the overlaps and finalise the seat allocations. But at the same time, informal talks are ongoing because party dynamics on the ground differ from the top level,” he said.
“There are seats historically contested by BN and PH before GRS existed. These we discuss bilaterally with BN.”
Earlier on Monday, BN chairman and Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Umno will contest the five Sabah state seats it lost in 2023 due to defections, despite Anwar’s call for a grand coalition.
Zahid said the party would consider Anwar’s suggestion, but seats previously won by Umno and lost to defectors must be reclaimed. These are Tanjung Keramat, Sugut, Pantai Dalit, Tempasuk, and Balung. – May 17, 2025.