All Eyes On Melaka As Speculations Over Election Heating Up
Melaka CM Ab Rauf says BN is open to strategic partners as speculation intensifies that the Melaka assembly could be dissolved soon.
- Melaka BN chairman Ab Rauf says formal channels, not social media, will be used to find strategic election partners.
- An anonymous Umno source claims the Melaka State Legislative Assembly could be dissolved by Wednesday, 23 September.
- BN holds a strong advantage, having won 21 of 28 seats in the 2021 Melaka state election.
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The Melaka state election could be called soon, with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh today saying that Barisan Nasional (BN) will use formal channels to determine potential strategic partners for the polls.
Ab Rauf, who is also Melaka BN chairman, said parties interested in cooperating with BN should not conduct negotiations through social media.
“There is no need for us to negotiate through social media. We will issue official letters to all parties, inviting them to submit proposals on how they could become BN’s best strategic partner. These proposals will then be presented at all levels for a decision,” he said, according to Bernama.
Speaking to reporters after officiating the national-level National Environment Day celebration in Melaka today, Ab Rauf said BN remained open to negotiations with any party interested in working with the coalition.
“We are neither closing the door completely nor opening it wide for negotiations,” he said.
Dissolution Date Still Unfixed
His comments come amid heightened speculation over when the 28-seat Melaka State Legislative Assembly will be dissolved.
On Sept 17, Sinar Harian reported that Ab Rauf said that no date had been fixed, with several state administrative matters still needing to be resolved before the assembly could be dissolved.
“I am giving an indication that the Melaka State Assembly will be dissolved from Friday to Friday because within that period, we still have many matters that need to be resolved to govern the state,” he said.
Earlier, Ab Rauf had said the dissolution could take place “at any time”, while maintaining that he would not reveal the date in advance.
Bernama reported on Sept 11 that BN would use a BN Plus formula – indicating a likely pact with another coalition for the state election – although negotiations with potential partners had yet to begin.
Ab Rauf said such negotiations would only take place after the dissolution of the state assembly. He also maintained that BN would defend all 21 seats it won in the previous election.
Umno Source Says Dissolution Could Come By Wednesday
Meanwhile, an Umno source who wished to remain anonymous told TRP that the Melaka State Legislative Assembly could be dissolved as early as this week.
The source believes the dissolution could take place by Wednesday, despite Umno and BN yet to finalise their running partner for the upcoming state election.
“From what I know, the dissolution would be this week, by Sept 23 (Wednesday). The date has been fixed despite state BN yet to decide on which coalition it would work with for Melaka state election, whether PH or PN,” the source said when contacted recently.
However, the claim has not been independently verified and is not supported by any official announcement at this stage.
BN Has The Advantage
In the 2021 Melaka state election, BN won 21 of the 28 state seats to form the state government, while PH won five and Perikatan Nasional (PN) secured two.
The current state government’s mandate expires on Dec 31, meaning the assembly can be dissolved earlier to pave the way for the state election.
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