PKR, UMNO discuss to recapture Bersatu seats - Report

KUALA LUMPUR: Talks between Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and UMNO are aimed at avoiding clashes with each other in the constituencies currently represented by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), the Malaysiakini portal reported.

The report which quoted a source, explained that an understanding to avoid a clash between the two parties was made ahead of the 15th General Election (GE15) which is expected to be held this year.

"Surely this was done to find a way so that there would be no clashes (in the Bersatu seats)," the source said.

Both parties, PKR and UMNO, were confident that if clashes in the constituencies contested by Bersatu were avoided, the chances for them to recapture the seats will be brighter and thus make it difficult for Bersatu to defend their seats.

However, so far it cannot be confirmed that such an understanding will be extended to seats that previously belonged to UMNO but are now represented by PKR, such as the Johor Bahru and Tangga Batu seats.

However, according to a Pakatan Harapan (PH) source, the mandate given to PKR to negotiate with UMNO was limited to cooperation to regain Putrajaya at this time, not for GE 15.

Even the leaders of DAP and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) insisted that the cooperation with UMNO must not involve groups labelled as 'court clusters' which were opposed during the last GE14.

Rumours of talks between several PKR and UMNO leaders have been circulating since last year and were cited as a new political alignment after UMNO was reportedly dissatisfied with Bersatu.

However, there has been no official confirmation of the negotiations between the two parties until now.

Some political analysts were of the opinion that no party would get a majority after GE15.