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BN Must Negotiate Openly, Not Act Like 'Big Brother,' Says Amanah
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Elections & Politics

BN Must Negotiate Openly, Not Act Like 'Big Brother,' Says Amanah

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Amanah's Khalid Samad urged Barisan Nasional (BN) to negotiate openly with Pakatan Harapan (PH) for the Melaka state election, without imposing biased conditions.
  • Samad criticized BN's stance of contesting 21 out of 28 seats as a one-sided condition before negotiations began.
  • He suggested BN should negotiate with PAS and Perikatan Nasional if they maintain their rigid position, rather than with PH.

Negotiations for electoral cooperation between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) ahead of the Melaka state election must be conducted openly and without biased conditions, according to Amanah's Communications Director, Khalid Samad.

Samad emphasized that BN needs to set aside its "big brother" attitude and be more receptive during political cooperation talks. This, he argued, is crucial for ensuring a fair distribution of seats and developing effective election strategies. He specifically called out BN's decision to contest 21 of Melaka's 28 state seats as a biased condition that favors their coalition, despite negotiations not having even commenced.

"When holding negotiations, we cannot act like a 'big brother.' Any discussion should not be subject to any conditions, especially if they only favor one side," Samad told Utusan Malaysia. He stressed that the negotiation space should be open, driven by a spirit of unity to provide political stability, particularly for the people of Melaka.

When holding negotiations, we cannot act like a 'big brother.' Any discussion should not be subject to any conditions, especially if they only favor one side.

— Khalid SamadThe Amanah Communications Director criticized BN's approach to pre-election talks.

BN Melaka Chairman Datuk Seri Ab. Rauf Yusoh had previously asserted that BN would stick to contesting all 21 of its incumbent seats without compromise. He stated these 21 seats would serve as the boundary for discussions with any other party. Samad, however, views this stance as inherently biased. He reasoned that if BN were to win all these seats, they could form a government independently, negating the need for support from other parties.

"If BN remains firm in its stance, it would be better for them to negotiate with PAS and Perikatan Nasional rather than with PH and Amanah, which have principles in forming political cooperation," Samad concluded.

If BN remains firm in its stance, it would be better for them to negotiate with PAS and Perikatan Nasional rather than with PH and Amanah, which have principles in forming political cooperation.

— Khalid SamadSamad suggested alternative negotiation partners for BN if they refuse to compromise.
About this summary

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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