MELAKA (The Thursday Times) — The Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) alliance won 24 of the 28 seats in Saturday’s Melaka state election, a two-thirds majority that dealt another setback to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH).
BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also deputy prime minister, said the result continued the “blue wave” that began in Johor and carried on in Negeri Sembilan. “This is a hat-trick of wins but it’s not a reason to be arrogant,” he said. BN took 21 seats and PN three. PH kept four, all won by the DAP, one fewer than in 2021. The Bersatu party and the Bersama party led by Rafizi Ramli lost every seat they contested.
A new term and a holiday
More than 70 per cent of the state’s 687,697 registered voters cast ballots, up from 65.9 per cent in 2021, according to the Election Commission. Melaka PH chairman Adly Zahari conceded defeat and said his coalition “accepts this result and respects the mandate given by the people of Melaka”.
Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh took his oath for a second term before the state governor, Mohd Ali Rustam, on Sunday and declared Monday a special state holiday as a gesture of thanks to voters. He said his government would first carry out the joint manifesto, with a focus on the state economy, investment, strategic projects, and quicker responses to public complaints. “I do not want the people to wait too long to see results,” he said.
What it means for Anwar
BN sits in Anwar’s federal government but has teamed up with the opposition PN in state polls, which puts it in direct competition with PH. BN’s campaign had been dogged by scrutiny over abandoned mega-projects and by controversy over former prime minister Najib Razak’s move from prison to house arrest days before polling, according to reports.
Analysts say the result shows the Malay unity pact consolidating Malay voters, while non-Malay voters moved towards the DAP, which could deepen the ethnic divide before the next general election, due by February 2028. Government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil said PH would examine its candidates, the youth vote, and turnout. Analyst Azmi Hassan said the timing of the election rests with the prime minister.
