KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — Having Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) join hands for coming six state elections is an advantage, Perikatan Nasional (PN) elections chief Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said.

This is because together, they form a single target for PN, he told New Straits Times in an interview published today.

“Previously the seats were divided. PH and BN teaming up gives us the advantage as they are now a single target,” he was quoted as saying.

Sanusi who is also the caretaker Kedah menteri besar said PN is still riding the “green wave” from the 15th general elections last November, and predicted this surge of support will continue to the ballot boxes on the August 12 polling day.

The “green wave” phenomenon refers to the surge in Malay-Muslim conservatism as championed by PN and is named after the colour of Islamist party PAS, a PN component party.

Sanusi who is also from PAS expressed his hope that BN component parties MCA and MIC will be swept up by this surge and back PN in the elections which they opted to forego contesting.

“It's been insulting for them, having to give up seats and not even contesting,” he was quoted as saying, alluding to news reports of grassroots discontent within the two BN parties over seat distributions in the run up to the state polls that has left Umno the only contestant from the coalition.

While MCA and MIC won’t be contesting, its leaders have said they will help with campaigning efforts.

In the interview, Sanusi was also asked about allegations about his purported involvement in the purported theft of rare earth elements (REE) mined by foreigners from Sik in Kedah.

He told the newspaper that Kedahans know the truth and their intelligence cannot be underestimated.

He maintained that he had nothing to hide.

“The state government has answered questions on REE based on facts,” he was quoted as saying, adding that it was up to the public to decide on the matter.

Besides that, he addressed the claim that PN is fielding unfit candidates for the state elections.

“Our candidates check all the boxes and range from sportsmen, religious scholars, public figures, former teachers, lecturers and businessmen.

“I feel that this is a great offer to voters and to Kedah,” he was quoted as saying.

Kedah, alongside Terengganu, Kelantan, Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan, will be holding its state elections on August 12.

When Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, the prime minister at the time, called for GE15 last year, the six states refused to dissolve their assemblies and hold their state elections at the same time, citing the monsoonal floods that had been predicted.

Early voting is on August 8.