He also announced that aside from Umno and the other BN component parties, candidates from parties that are recognised as Friends of BN would be given the chance to contest under the coalition’s banner for the first time.

“We have not forgotten the candidates from the Friends of BN,” he said in the Bagan Datuk Umno division annual meeting.

“This is the first time that we are giving a chance to candidates from Friends of BN (to contest under BN).”

Friends of BN comprise Makkal Sakti, Parti Cinta Malaysia, Malaysian Indian Progressive Front, Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress, Malaysian Indian United Party and Parti Punjabi Malaysia.

In June, Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan was reported as saying that the parliamentary and state seats previously contested by Gerakan when it was under the coalition might be given to Friends of BN aside from MCA and MIC. In GE14, Gerakan represented BN in 11 parliamentary and 31 state seats.

With 222 parliamentary seats up for grabs in GE15, the 191 seats announced cover every state except Sarawak, which has 31 seats.

Meanwhile, BN deputy chairman Mohamad Hasan said the coalition is targeting to win at least 112 parliamentary seats or more in order to form a government, Berita Harian reported.