KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) has begun its seat negotiations process between coalition parties in preparation of the 15th general election, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.

Anwar, who is also PH chairman, said the coalition would take into consideration seats allocation for Opposition-friendly parties including a proposal made by Sabah-based United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko).

"The presidential council has decided on several matters, including joint-effort on election machinery and secondly to start negotiation on seat allocation involving mainly Harapan parties and also to consider allocation for other friendly parties.

"There is also this proposal by Upko president Wilfred Madius Tangau, and this will be considered. But now at this stage, we will assign a spokesperson,” Anwar was quoted as saying in a press conference by Malaysiakini.

The present PH coalition only comprised three component parties — PKR, DAP and Parti Amanah Negara.

At the same time, PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil said seat negotiation between PH parties has reached an "advanced stage” and would focus on component members before discussions with other Opposition-friendly parties took place.

Anwar also did not rule out the possibility of working together with Umno in the next election after Umno announced its intention to not cooperate with incumbent Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and Perikatan Nasional in the yet-to-be announced national polls.

"The issue of working with anyone does not arise at this point. But we are clear that we will support anyone who can accept the fact that [PH]support good governance, reject graft and all types of corruption and abuse of power, and protect the [rights] of the Malay and Bumiputera and all races in this country, we can be together,” Anwar said.

Fahmi also said such cooperation was not impossible and had been done by PKR before.

"I think it is not something that is impossible. But, our guidelines like the one given by Anwar is very clear. We have our principles and codes, and as long as it does not go against these principles and codes, we can work with any party.

"Even before this we have worked together with [Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad], and such cooperation must be based on principles,” he said.

On March 4, Muhyiddin was reported to have chaired a two-hour-long meeting by the party’s supreme council at a Putrajaya hotel to discuss the party’s cooperation with its current ally Umno in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration.

National news agency Bernama had said the meeting was held following Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s letter dated February 26, which stated the Umno supreme council’s decision to not cooperate with Bersatu in the 15th general election and that Umno would remain within the PN government until the dissolution of Parliament.