Loke said this meant the responsibility lay with PKR to deliver more seats than had been won in the 2013 general election.
“Negeri Sembilan is one of the marginal states that PH is targeting to take over, and I am confident that PKR can defend the three state seats it now holds and deliver more seats because it has been given the go ahead to lead PH in Negeri Sembilan.”
PKR has been given 12 seats to contest in the state, the most among PH component parties. DAP will defend the 11 seats it won in the last general election.
“If Amanah and PPBM can contribute a few more seats, we will be able to form the next state government,” Loke, who is also DAP national organising secretary, told FMT.
In 2013, BN beat the now defunct Pakatan Rakyat 22-14 in Negeri Sembilan.
DAP won 11 seats while PKR delivered three. For BN, Umno delivered 21 and MIC one. However, Umno’s total currently stands at 20 after Lenggeng assemblyman Ishak Ismail died of a heart attack last July.
Loke said PH was looking to take over the state by winning seats that it had lost narrowly in 2013.
“We are targeting to win Ampangan, Pilah, Klawang and a few other seats we lost narrowly. The seats that PAS contested under Pakatan Rakyat in the last election will be distributed between Amanah and PPBM, as announced.
“The majority of BN in the state assembly is not very high and in the last two general elections, BN only narrowly secured victory, without a two-thirds majority.
“PH is only short of five seats to form the state government and as far as DAP is concerned, we are hoping to retain all 11 seats to contribute to a PH win.”
In Ampangan, Umno’s Abu Ubaidah Haji Redza only beat PKR’s Kamarul Baharin Abbas by a wafer-thin 89 votes.
In Pilah, Umno’s Norhayati Binti Omar beat PKR’s Mohamad Nazaruddin Sabtu by a 113 votes.
In Klawang, Umno’s Yunus Rahmat defeated PAS’ Rosli Yaakop by 282 votes.
Other marginal seats were Paroi (2,184-majority), Labu (1,511), Lenggeng (2,058) and Johol (1,344).
Commenting on Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan, Loke admitted that the Umno man was a popular figure among Negeri Sembilan folk, especially the Malays.
“I have gone on record before to say that he is one of the strongest Umno MBs in the country and I do not deny his popularity.
“This is something we have to face, although the mood of the GE is not just based on personalities or the MB.
“The outcome very much depends on the overall condition and political situation of the country, and the various issues faced by voters such as the high cost of living, GST, corruption and the unhappiness of people with this current situation.
“Many people feel that the current situation is not conducive for the country and everyone is hoping for change. If this mood continues until the coming GE14, then we hope they will vote for change.”
On Jan 28, PH chief secretary Saifuddin Abdullah announced that of the 36 state seats in Negeri Sembilan, 12 would be contested by PKR, 11 by DAP, seven by Amanah and six by PPBM.
This did not go down well with some PPBM leaders in the state. About 40 PPBM members also protested at the Negeri Sembilan PH convention when PH president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also PKR president, was finishing her speech.
PPBM deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir had to come down from the stage to calm the protesters. Jempol PPBM division head Amiruddin Aman, who led the protest, said the distribution was grossly unfair.
“We are not satisfied because the seats given to us are ‘black’ areas (difficult to win). We were targeting 12 seats and would have been okay even if it was just 10… this is very disappointing,” he told reporters.