Umno should be realistic about state govt posts, says analyst

Umno’s Sungai Acheh assemblyman Rashidi Zinol is BN’s sole representative in the Penang exco lineup. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Umno should be realistic about the number of executive councillor posts it is given in the three states retained by the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional alliance in the state elections, says a political analyst.

Speaking to FMT, Council of Professors fellow Jeniri Amir is also confident Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will accept not having more exco members in Penang, where BN only won two of the six seats it contested.

Umno’s Sungai Acheh assemblyman Rashidi Zinol is BN’s sole representative in the Penang government after being named to head the trade and entrepreneurial development and rural development committee.

Umno’s other assemblyman in Penang, Reezal Merican Naina Merican, who won the Bertam seat, was initially rumoured to be appointed a deputy chief minister. However, despite his experience as a federal minister, Reezal was not included in Penang’s exco lineup announced yesterday.

“BN shouldn’t expect to be given more state government posts if it won only a few seats. It is already good enough for Umno to be given one executive councillor (post) in Penang,” Jeniri said.

“It’s a bit too much to ask for a deputy chief minister’s post because that’s not realistic.”

He said the allocation of state government posts should be based on the number of seats each party won in the elections.

Penang’s 11-member exco lineup comprises eight from DAP, two from PKR and one from Umno.

In the state elections on Saturday, PH-BN won 29 seats in the 40-seat legislative assembly, and Perikatan Nasional won the remaining 11 seats. DAP won all the 19 seats it contested, PKR seven out of 13, and Amanah retained one of its two previous seats.

In Selangor, Umno won only two of the 12 seats it contested, with PH securing 32, while PN claimed the remaining 22 seats.

However, Jeniri said expectations would be different in Negeri Sembilan, where BN won 14 of the 17 seats it contested while PH won 17 of the 19 seats it vied for. PN holds the remaining five seats in the 36-seat assembly.

This sentiment was echoed by Negeri Sembilan Umno chairman Jalaluddin Alias, who hoped the party would be allocated at least five to six exco posts.

Another analyst, Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid of Universiti Sains Malaysia, said with BN winning only 19 of the 108 seats it contested in the state elections, its supporters should realise it was in no position to bargain for state government posts.

“After such a dismal performance, Umno’s supporters must realise that the party is in a weak bargaining position,” he said.

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Umno should be realistic about state govt posts, says analyst

Jeniri Amir says one should be enough in Penang and Selangor, although the party deserves more in Negeri Sembilan, where it won 14 of the 17 seats it contested.