Melaka election: PN, PH must accept BN's 21 seats for cooperation

Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) must accept the status quo of 21 state seats held by Barisan Nasional (BN) if they aim to cooperate in the Melaka state election. This includes the Rembia seat, whose incumbent, Datuk Muhamad Jailani Khamis, defected from UMNO to Pas in June 2023.

If this formula is agreed upon, only seven seats will remain open for negotiation. Of these, five are currently held by PH: Bukit Katil, Ayer Keroh, Kesidang, Kota Laksamana, and Bandar Hilir. The remaining two seats, Bemban and Sungai Udang, were won by PN through Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) in the 2021 state election.

Pas Deputy President Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man announced that all cooperation matters, including seat division, candidate selection, programs, and manifestos, will be handed over to a Consultation Committee. He expressed confidence that all issues can be resolved if all parties are willing to compromise. PN has not yet decided on the number of seats it will contest or where its candidates will be placed.

According to Pas Melaka Deputy Commissioner Bakri Jamaluddin, there are no issues between Pas and BN at the state level, as they have previously cooperated through Muafakat Nasional (MN) in Melaka. He noted that the unity of the Malay community is increasingly accepted by the public, as seen in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections, and that the people of Melaka also hope for this unity to continue. He added that at the grassroots level, relations between Pas and BN in Melaka are peaceful.

However, he acknowledged that the final decision rests with the central Pas leadership, as each party has different strategies. Melaka state officials will abide by the party's decision. Previously, Melaka UMNO Liaison Committee Chairman Datuk Seri Ab. Rauf Yusoh stated that BN would defend 21 of the 28 seats it won in the last election as a basis for any political cooperation talks, though some seats might be subject to negotiation. Melaka People's Leadership Council (MPN) Deputy Chairman Adam Adli indicated that discussions between PH and BN are still open and not bound by any party's stipulations, pending further talks.