The Umno vice-president said his party’s Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition remained in discussions with PN on how to prevent such clashes with the latter’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and PAS.

“The MT (Umno supreme council) has given me a mandate to negotiate with the parties in the government because we know that in three-cornered fights, other parties can benefit.

“We are still in negotiations (for the Melaka election),” he told reporters in a press conference here today.

Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, who was also present, declined to comment on the negotiations and only said that his party is focusing on the PN’s election machinery.

“If there are any cooperation with parties outside of Bersatu, we will announce accordingly,” he said.

Umno, Bersatu and PAS are all part of the federal government but only the two are official members of PN.

On October 28, Umno announced that the party wished to continue with the Muafakat Nasional cooperation in PAS for the November 20 Melaka state election.

Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the stand was in line with the resolutions of the party’s general assembly last year, among others to strengthen the MN pact between the two parties.

Previously, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said his party will not cooperate with Bersatu as this decided at the Umno assembly.