PETALING JAYA: Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) may contest in as many as nine seats when it makes it electoral debut in the Johor election, after striking a deal with DAP, Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) and possibly PKR.

       “The consensus between Amanah, DAP and Muda is that Muda will contest in the following seats: Tenang, Bukit Kepong, Parit Raja, Machap, Puteri Wangsa and Bukit Permai,” DAP, Amanah and Muda said in a joint statement yesterday.

       “Negotiations between Muda and PKR are currently ongoing to achieve unity in facing this state election.”

       The statement was signed by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

       In a separate statement last night, Johor PKR chief Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said his party offered three seats to Muda.

       “During the series of negotiations, everyone gave their opinions honestly and openly.

       “PKR now awaits the party’s response,” said the statement, which did not name the seats.

       All six seats named earlier were contested by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) during the 14th general election when it was still a part of the Pakatan Harapan coalition.

       Umno won in Parit Raja and Machap while Bersatu won in Tenang, Bukit Kepong, Puteri Wangsa and Bukit Permai.

       The three parties said several rounds of meetings and negotiations were recently held, where they pledged to combine their election machinery to support all their candidates.

       “This is very meaningful when facing the state election. Amanah, DAP and Muda are about to move as strategic partners, although Muda is not part of Pakatan.

       “This is in line with the ‘big tent’ principle to unite all political parties to take on the Barisan Nasional/Perikatan Nasional government,” the statement said.

       The deal has raised questions over Parti Warisan, which hoped to make its peninsula debut by working with Muda.

       Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal is expected to be in Johor next week and will make a final decision then.

       “The pact does not affect Warisan, we are still working with Muda,” said a party source.

       The deal, however, could bring some calm to Pakatan, which has been wracked with disunity over the past weeks following PKR’s decision to use its own logo in the Johor polls, while DAP and Amanah will use the coalition’s logo.