PADANG BESAR: Former Padang Besar member of parliament Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin, who recently returned to politics under PKR, says he plans to establish 400 PKR branches across Perlis to revitalise the party's presence in the state.
He outlined this ambitious initiative as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the Pakatan Harapan and Barisan National coalition against Perikatan Nasional.
The former Padang Besar Umno division chief and Umno Supreme Council member said he has no reservations about working with the party that once removed him.
"Today, we have gathered former branch leaders (Umno), community leaders, and representatives of non-government organisations to initiate the formation of PKR branches, especially in Padang Besar.
"We aim to establish 400 PKR branches across Perlis by the next general election. Over 100 of these branches will be in Padang Besar, signifying our intent to bring the state under the PH-BN coalition in the upcoming polls.
"At present, PKR has around 60 branches, and we intend to expand this in line with the numerous Umno branches here," he told reporters today.
Zahidi added that the plan to establish more branches has already received the endorsement of PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
"We aim to 'level up' with Umno. If PKR has just 40 branches while Umno has 300, how can we negotiate seat allocations effectively?
"Ideally, in our discussions, we will propose an equitable seat distribution across Kangar, Arau, and Padang Besar, for both parliamentary and state seats.
"If possible, every parliamentary and state constituency should have equal representation," he said.
Zahidi also expressed confidence in the collaborative efforts led by Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Anwar.
"This cooperative spirit will strengthen PH and Umno, enabling PH-BN to reclaim Perlis in the 16th General Election," he added.