MELAKA: Barisan Nasional is willing to contest the Melaka state election without an electoral alliance rather than compromise on its commitment to serve all races, says Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh.
The Melaka Barisan chairman said parties seeking to cooperate with the coalition in the Melaka polls must recognise that it comprised of Umno, MCA and MIC, and represented the interests of a multiracial society.
He said there was no basis for an alliance if prospective partners believed their responsibility was confined to serving a single race.
Ab Rauf, who is also the caretaker Melaka chief minister, was speaking at the launch of the Barisan election machinery for the Tangga Batu parliamentary constituency on Saturday (Oct 17).
Also present at the launch were state Barisan deputy chairman Datuk Rais Yasin, who is Tangga Batu Umno chief, and Melaka MCA chairman Datuk Lim Ban Hong, who is also the Klebang assemblyman.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, Ab Rauf said Barisan would announce its 21 candidates on Oct 28, with any seat swaps among component parties to be revealed then.
"Wait until then. I will tell you on that day. There is no need to reveal it now. Let there be some surprises,” he said when asked about possible changes to seat allocations.
Ab Rauf said Barisan intended to defend all 21 seats it held while seeking to regain constituencies lost in the previous election.
He also rallied party workers behind a target of winning more than 25 state seats, identifying Sungai Udang as a priority for Umno and Barisan to recapture.
“We must win and ensure that our victory this time translates into more than 25 seats,” he said.
Sungai Udang was won by Dr Mohd Aleef Yusof on a Perikatan Nasional ticket in the 2021 state election with a 530-vote majority over Barisan’s Datuk Seri Mohamad Ali Mohamad.
Dr Mohd Aleef secured 6,789 votes against Mohamad Ali’s 6,259 in a four-cornered contest that also involved Pakatan Harapan’s Hasmorni Tamby and Independent Mohd Zahar Hashim.
He has since left Bersatu and joined Parti Wawasan Negara, a move reported on Oct 2.
The constituency is one of four state seats within Tangga Batu, alongside Paya Rumput, Klebang and Pantai Kundor.
Ab Rauf reminded party workers that Barisan’s previous defeat should serve as a warning against complacency as the election approached.
“We cannot afford to lose because we have lost before. If we lose, getting back on our feet will be very difficult,” he said.
Recalling the coalition’s defeat in the 2018 general election, he urged supporters to learn from that bitter experience and strengthen their preparations to prevent a repeat.
He also called on the machinery to remain alert to challenges from rival parties and make full use of the time remaining to secure voter support.
