00:01Analysts say Perikatan Nasional's supporting role in its electoral arrangement with Barisan Nasional
00:06could give the coalition an advantage regardless of the Negeri Sembilan result.
00:10Wong Chin Huat of Sunway University said the approach allows PAS and PN to present themselves
00:16as UMNO's saviors and supporters, creating what he described as a win-win situation.
00:22A strong BN-PN performance would allow PAS to claim credit and justify expanding into UMNO's
00:27traditional strongholds under the banner of Malay unity.
00:31But if the alliance performs poorly, Wong said PN and PAS could avoid blame by arguing that
00:37they were only the supporting team.
00:39He said the strategy reflected PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang's political calculation but
00:44warned it could create tensions if the Satu proves its own electoral strength and demands
00:49a bigger role.
00:50Taufik Yaakob of University Malaya said the approach also serves as a safety net by lowering
00:55expectations of PN's performance in Negeri Sembilan.
00:59A poor result, he said, could be blamed on BN as the main player, allowing PN to separate
01:05the Negeri Sembilan outcome from its strength in the northern states.
01:08However, Taufik warned that PH could accuse PN of wanting to share credit if the alliance
01:14wins, while avoiding responsibility if it loses.
01:18Hadi was previously reported as saying PN had adopted a similar approach in Johor, with
01:23UMNO placed at the front, while PN acted as the supporting team.
01:27Under the informal BN-PN cooperation in Negeri Sembilan, BN is contesting 25 seats, while
01:33the PAS-LED PN is contesting the remaining 11.
01:36Mun Junyang, FMT.
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