BN will stick to informal pact with PN, says Umno man

Barisan Nasional (BN) will maintain its informal electoral understanding with Perikatan Nasional (PN), Umno leader Razlan said.

Citing past experiences, Razlan said BN was wary about entering into any formal pacts, Astro Awani reported.

He said the strategy used at the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections proved not only fruitful but also staved off any unhappiness among the contesting parties.

Seats between the two coalitions were negotiated based on their respective strengths without affecting each other's machinery.

"With Muafakat Nasional (MN) we could not come to a compromise," he was quoted as saying, referring to the electoral pact forged between PAS and Umno in 2019 to consolidate the Malay vote.

In a veiled jab at Bersatu, he said a third party exploited the impasse, leading to MN's dissolution. "And we don't want history to repeat itself," he said.

Razlan said the informal electoral understanding had worked in Negeri Sembilan and Johor as there were no aggrieved parties.

At the Johor state election last month, PN told its supporters to back BN in constituencies the opposition coalition was not contesting. BN went on to score a landslide victory.

At the Negeri Sembilan polls on Aug 1, PN and BN reached an understanding not to contest against each other. The move saw the two coalitions form a state government.