MELAKA: Any electoral pact with Melaka Barisan Nasional must be negotiated formally and face-to-face before it can be considered, says Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh.
The state Barisan chairman said the coalition remained open to talks with parties seeking political cooperation ahead of the state polls but would not rush into any agreement.
“If there is any interest to work together, I am prepared to provide an open platform for negotiations.
“However, negotiations do not necessarily mean that we will ultimately become partners.
“We will assess various factors before accepting anyone as our political partner,” he said after the state administration’s monthly assembly and the launch of the state-level National Month campaign.
He said cooperation under the proposed Barisan Plus formula could strengthen the state’s political landscape, but any partnership must first undergo negotiations and receive mutual agreement.
Ab Rauf, who is also the Chief Minister, said Barisan remained committed to defending all 21 state seats it won in the 2021 state election.
However, he said the remaining seven seats were open for discussion with potential partners.
“The seven seats can be negotiated. There may also be seat swaps based on mutual agreement.”
He cautioned against drawing premature conclusions about potential political alliances before an official agreement had been reached.
“I have always stressed that we should not draw conclusions from any discussion that has not been formalised,” he added.
In the recently concluded Negri Sembilan polls, Barisan and Perikatan Nasional formed an electoral pact, which saw the two coalitions not contesting against each other.
Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said the coalition was open to discussions on continuing its understanding with Perikatan in the upcoming Melaka polls.
