TANJUNG MALIM, Aug 23 — Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has confirmed that MIC is one of the parties that will be part of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.

He said that apart from MIC, other parties which also registered to become part of the PN coalition include Bersatu, PAS and Parti Solidariti Tanahairku (star).

“Thus far, from the information I have obtained, MIC has become one of the parties that registered to become part of PN with PAS, STAR and Bersatu. This is not a problem as PN has to be registered.

“The stand of Umno and BN in the next general election is that we will still use the ‘dacing’ (weighing scale) logo for Umno and BN candidates,” he said when met by reporters after spending time chatting with Indian voters at the Indian Progressive Front (IPF) operations room in Kampung Baru, Slim River here, today.

Earlier, Senior Minister and International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali stated that so far, there are five parties in the PN coalition registered with the Registrar of Societies (RoS) including Bersatu and PAS, but did not mention three other parties. 

In another development, Ahmad Zahid said that negotiations on seat distribution to face the Sabah State Election (PRN) next month will be finalised at least a week before the nomination day on September 12.

He said that talks on the distribution of 73 state seats were being held with several other parties including Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah (PPRS), STAR, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS).

“InsyaAllah (God willing) we will form a coalition of all these parties together with Sabah BN so that there is only one coalition of political parties in Sabah and we will submit the new deal through a special manifesto for Sabah voters,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid said that BN secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa and Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan have been appointed as Sabah PRN chief coordinators to help the state BN election machinery, together with other party partners.

He also said that the BN logo will be used in the Sabah PRN but if any particular party (in the coalition) wants to use their respective logos, the matter will be negotiated. — Bernama