PH cannot form state govt in Kedah without simple majority

ALOR STAR: A new state government in Kedah can only be formed if it receives the trust of the majority of state assemblymen, as no party achieved a simple majority win in the General Elections held yesterday.
International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Law Faculty lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Shamrahayu A. Aziz said that Pakatan Harapan (PH) should have support from at least 19 state assemblymen if it wants to form a new state government. The coalition won 18 seats.
"(If they do not have enough number of seats) PH can look for the majority by asking Barisan Nasional (BN), or BN may wish to remain on its own (with 15 seats) and not support anyone, so there will be no majority, and it will be a hung state assembly.
"PH cannot form the new Kedah state government as long as it does not have a simple majority of 19 seats," she said when contacted by Bernama, today.
In this regard, Shamrahayu said a mixed coalition between PH and PAS (three seats) was the best solution to set up a new state government in Kedah.
"PH and PAS can negotiate to determine who among their state assemblymen is eligible to become the Mentri Besar and Kedah state executive councillors.
"Another possibility is that PAS and BN may join up for example, however, they will still not be able to set up a new state government because the seat tally will be a tie 18 (PH) -18 (PAS and BN), still resulting in a hung legislative assembly," she said.
She said the Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah could only appoint the Kedah Mentri Besar and allow a new state government to be formed once he was confident that an assemblyman commanded the support of the majority in the assembly. — Bernama