Puad suggests BN call for Pahang, Perak polls next

A former Umno leader says Barisan Nasional (BN) should dissolve the Pahang and Perak state assemblies next for fresh state elections to be held in both states, where BN still governs with Pakatan Harapan (PH).

Former Batu Pahat MP Puad Zarkashi said BN’s cooperation with Perikatan Nasional (PN) was clearly effective, based on the alliance’s landslide victory in the Melaka polls yesterday.

Puad added that the pact initially appeared to face obstacles with BN insisting on contesting at least 21 seats, but PAS’s decision to give in to BN’s demands paid off as the Islamic party still won two challenging seats.

“Therefore, it would only be right for BN to dissolve the Pahang and Perak assemblies next to allow a BN-PN administration to succeed the current unity administrations,” he said in a Facebook post.

BN won 21 seats in the Melaka state election yesterday, single-handedly surpassing the two-thirds majority mark, while PN added three more seats to the alliance.

DAP won the remaining four seats for PH.

PN has stated its intention to expand its cooperation with BN nationwide ahead of the next general election, although there has been some resistance in Pahang and Perak.

Two months ago, Pahang menteri besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, an Umno vice-president, said BN was capable of retaining the state whether it teams up with PH or PN, or goes solo.

Similarly, a Perak Umno delegate at the party’s general assembly had warned that a BN-PN pact could weaken Umno’s position in the state.

In the 2022 general election, BN and PN each won 17 state seats in Pahang while PH secured eight. BN subsequently partnered with PH to form the Pahang government, and Wan Rosdy became menteri besar for a second term.

In Perak, BN won only nine state seats in 2022 but Umno’s Saarani Mohamad was reappointed as menteri besar after forming the state government with PH, which had secured 24 seats. PN has 26 seats in the Perak state assembly.