PUTRAJAYA: Melaka Barisan Nasional intends to defend all 21 state seats in the upcoming 16th state election.
Its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, who also chairs the state Barisan, had conveyed the target to him.
“The chief minister has expressed his determination to retain all 21 seats,” he said.
However, he said the coalition remains open to reaching an understanding with other parties, subject to a final decision by Barisan’s central leadership.
“There will certainly be discussions among all parties. As the Melaka chief minister has said, he is very open to them.
“The central leadership will be consulted and will make the final decision on any agreement reached,” he added, Bernama reported.
Ahmad Zahid, who is Deputy Prime Minister and Rural and Regional Development Minister, was speaking to reporters after the ministry’s monthly assembly here yesterday.
The Melaka legislative assembly has 28 seats.
On national political stability, Ahmad Zahid said political rivalry at the state level would not affect stability at the federal level, as the unity government was formed based on mutual understanding and an agreement that would remain in force until Parliament is dissolved.
He said political developments following the state elections, including those in Johor and Negri Sembilan, would neither alter the direction of the Federal Government’s administration nor affect the implementation of planned government policies, programmes and projects.
“As long as Parliament is not dissolved, the Federal Government will continue to function and every responsibility entrusted to us by the people will be fulfilled as usual,” said Ahmad Zahid, adding that cooperation did not require parties to forfeit their principles.
He explained that the federal administration operates on political autonomy within a coalition, allowing each party to set its own strategy provided it honours the foundational agreement.
“Each party still has the space to determine its own strategy, preserve its support base and offer choices to the people, as long as the commitments under the agreement to form the government continue to be honoured,” he said.
“In the context of the current government, once the mandate has been given and the government has been formed, the responsibility of governing must take precedence over all political differences.”
Ahmad Zahid said the same concept was practised in countries such as Australia and Japan, where parties in coalition governments could still contest one another at certain levels while continuing to work together in national governance.
The Negri Sembilan state election on Aug 1 saw Barisan, together with Perikatan Nasional, form the state government after securing a two-thirds majority.
The unity government was formed after the 15th general election in November 2022, when no political coalition secured a simple majority to form the federal government.
The Federal Government was established through the cooperation of Pakatan Harapan, which won the most parliamentary seats, together with Barisan, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and several other parties, with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim appointed as the 10th Prime Minister.
