PETALING JAYA: Melaka needs leaders who solve the people's problems instead of squabbling, says Bersatu Youth.
Its information chief Harris Idaham Rashid said there was dissatisfaction on the ground with the recent back-and-forth between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan over seat sharing in next year's state election.
He also advised Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh not to "get too comfortable" with the mandate the party received in the 2021 state polls, as the political landscape had changed.
"The people want leaders who don't just criticise and fight among themselves, but who find solutions to the problems faced by the public," he said in a statement on Monday (May 19).
He said support for Perikatan Nasional had surged in the state, as seen in the GE15 results in 2022 when the coalition won in Umno strongholds like Jasin, where Dr Akmal is division chief.
In 2021, Barisan secured a two-thirds majority in the state assembly, winning 21 out of 28 seats. Pakatan won five and Perikatan, two.
In GE15, however, Barisan lost in every parliamentary seat it contested in Melaka. Pakatan won three of the six seats, with Perikatan taking the remaining three.
Earlier this month, nine DAP branches in the state proposed a 14-14 seat sharing formula between Barisan and Pakatan in the next Melaka election.
Akmal had reportedly rejected the idea outright, telling his unity government colleagues to "dream on".
Last week, Barisan chairman and Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said seat discussions should be left to the top leadership and besides, the Melaka polls are only due next year.
