KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) welcomes the openness of Barisan Nasional (BN) regarding the distribution of seats for the upcoming Melaka state election and describes it as an opportunity that deserves to be examined.

PH communications director Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said the openness should also be accepted for the future and political stability of Melaka, in addition to its importance to the country.

“The chairman of Keadilan Melaka, Yang Berhormat Adam Adli, also informed that he had been in direct contact with Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusof (regarding the distribution of Melaka State Legislative Assembly seats).

“I think this openness is a good opportunity for us to examine because we know that in Melaka, BN has 21 seats, while PH has five seats. So that is a realistic matter,” he told reporters after officiating the Gotong-royong Mega Perangi Aedes programme in the Lembah Pantai area, here today.

Fahmi, who is also the Communications Minister, said in this regard several matters could be managed at the state and federal levels regarding the distribution of state seats in Melaka.

Yesterday, BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the coalition was still open to negotiations regarding the distribution, or even the exchange of seats, to face the Melaka state election, as long as it was done honestly and sincerely and did not affect the number of seats for each party.

Ahmad Zahid also said the basic principle of the negotiations was that the seats won by any party must be respected and not simply handed over to political partners. — Bernama