80 Peninsula seats the key to power, says Chin Tong

Pakatan Harapan must strive to with at least 80 of the 165 parliamentary seats in Peninsular Malaysia at the next general election to form the next government, says DAP strategist Liew Chin Tong.

(FMT) – Liew, who is deputy secretary-general of the party, said PH must go all out to trigger a surge of voter interest and consequently a high voter turnout.

“Winning 80 and above in the peninsula means Pakatan Harapan would have a decent chance to form the next government.

“But most importantly, Pakatan Harapan will be able to deny a two-thirds majority in Parliament and hence have a say in any attempt to amend the Federal Constitution,” he said in a Facebook post.

A two-thirds majority is needed to amend the constitution. The Dewan Rakyat has 222 members.

Liew, a former deputy defence minister, said none of the three coalitions were likely to win an outright majority as voters are split between PH, Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional.

At worst, PH could still win at least 60 seats, he said.

Since the 2013 general election, Liew said PH had set a target of winning 100 of the 165 seats. In 2008 and 2013, PH only won 80 each time.

In 2018, PH ousted BN from power after winning 98 seats in the peninsula.

Yesterday, FMT quoted Wong Chin Huat of Sunway University as saying that PH needed to prepare its supporters to accept the fact that its best hope is to be the senior partner in a government that includes other parties.

He said this would help temper expectations that PH would be able to form the government by itself with a comfortable majority in the next general election which he added, some were “daydreaming” about.