Speaking to FMT, Saifuddin said the meeting between PPBM and PH’s three coalition parties – DAP, PKR and Amanah – would be held at Amanah’s headquarters.
“For the time being, it’s just the four of us. We will proceed.
“After this, we want to complete our manifesto. We already have a joint working committee and next, we will discuss our joint strategy and joint message and programmes.”
Last December, PH formed an electoral pact with PPBM in a bid to ensure straight fights between the opposition and Barisan Nasional. Meanwhile, PPBM has been trying to form an electoral pact with PAS which would parallel its pact with PH.
PAS, once part of the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition alongside PKR and DAP, has renounced working with DAP and PAS splinter party, Amanah.
The Pakatan Rakyat coalition won the popular vote in GE13 in May 2013, and in the process continued to deny BN the two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat. BN lost its long-held two-thirds majority in GE12, which took place in March 2008.
PAS maintains a working relationship with PKR but has remained undecided on working with PPBM despite a highly-anticipated meeting earlier this month between party leaders on the proposed cooperation.
On PH and PPBM’s cooperation, Saifuddin said he hoped a clear understanding could be achieved between all parties.
“What is the understanding? We want to enter GE14, take on Umno and BN together, defeat them and form the government.
“This cooperation and understanding must be in place before and after the elections. This is what we have to finalise.”
In GE13, the opposition largely managed to avoid overlapping of seats, though there were multi-cornered fights in some constituencies, especially in Sabah and Sarawak. But much has changed since 2013.
With PAS repeatedly saying it is ready to face GE14 alone and the Islamist party’s refusal to work with DAP and Amanah, three-way contests appear to be on the cards.
The opposition will also want to avoid a repeat of the overlap in last May’s Sarawak elections, which saw PKR and DAP engage in a number of multi-cornered fights. Disputes over seats had also seen leaders from the two parties openly trading barbs.
In Sabah, too, things have changed, with PH losing several top leaders to new Sabah-based opposition party, Parti Warisan Sabah, led by former Umno vice-president Shafie Apdal and former PKR vice-president Darell Leiking.
Although Warisan and PH have reportedly been in talks, Sabah DAP leaders have of late been critical of Warisan.