Mustapha Yaakub, the Umno Veterans’ Club secretary, said the BN and Umno state chapters should focus on winning every seat it is given and strengthening the party machinery in other areas to help its allies in the unity government.

“We shouldn’t be jostling (to demand for more seats). We’re better off contesting fewer seats but winning all of them.

“Why demand for 20 to 30 seats only to end up winning only five? It is better if we contest 10 and win all of them with the support of our allies,” he told FMT.

Mustapha reiterated that both BN and PH needed each other to win their respective seats to ensure the state does not fall into Perikatan Nasional’s hands.

Seat negotiations for Selangor between BN and PH have yet to be wrapped up, while state PH chief Amirudin Shari expects the matter to be resolved after Hari Raya Haji.

FMT has learned that Selangor BN has been allocated 13 seats to contest but is demanding for more. It is understood that the deadlock in negotiations involve the Gombak Setia and Kota Damansara seats.

A party source told FMT that Selangor Umno chief Megat Zulkarnain Omardin is keen on contesting in Gombak Setia, a seat that was previously won by Hilman Idham, an aide to Azmin Ali, on a PKR ticket.

Hilman is now with Bersatu.

In the 2018 general election, PH won 51 of the 56 state seats that were up for grabs, while BN won four and PAS one.