KUCHING: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today that the Sabah state election next year will serve as a "testing ground" to assess cooperation between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN).
Zahid, the BN chairman, said the election was essential for evaluating their understanding in preparation for the general election.
He said the partnership formed the foundation of the unity government and should continue to ensure political stability.
"To continue this PH and BN collaboration, we will first implement it in the Sabah election.
"Afterwards, we will use the same formula to cooperate with other coalition parties."
He said this after a briefing on the implementation of Sarawak State Development Projects here.
Zahid, who is rural and regional development minister, was commenting on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's statement yesterday.
Anwar had emphasised the importance of continuing this cooperation in future elections to maintain political stability.
He added it was challenging for any party to secure a comfortable majority now, and Malaysia has been considered one of the most stable countries in the region over the past two years.
Zahid said BN would not close its doors to negotiations with other coalitions.
"However, we won't leave the door wide open either."
When asked about the symbols that PH and BN would use in the election, Zahid said there was an agreement that the parties would use their own symbols.
"There will be no overlap in contested seats."
He said that differences in opinion or views among PH and BN members were merely personal stances and did not represent the official party position.