Final round of PH, BN seat talks tonight, says Rafizi

The final round of negotiations between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) on seat allocations for the upcoming state elections will take place in Kuala Lumpur tonight. 

PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli said he will be leading the talks for PH while Mohamad Hasan will be heading the BN negotiating team. 

Rafizi said negotiations will focus on the agreement of the component parties in the coalition government in determining the seat allocations in the six states facing elections, namely Penang, Kedah, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Terengganu and Kelantan. 

"We (PKR) already have our candidates and in view that this is the first time we are contesting state elections with the other parties in the unity government, we have to first finalise seats through negotiations. 

"Decisions made tonight will be brought to the PH and BN chairmen for a final decision,” he told the media after attending the 12th Malaysia Plan mid-term engagement session with the economy minister in Malacca today.

Rafizi, who is the economy minister, said once negotiations are done, the names of three proposed candidates will be shortlisted to be discussed with PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.

He said PKR had opened its doors to individuals interested in becoming candidates for the state polls, but they had to first go through a strict vetting process. 

"For the other parties, it depends on their own criteria, but for PKR itself, we opened it to party division and wing members who were interested," he said.