Ab Rauf: People’s welfare remains the priority
MELAKA: Barisan Nasional is keeping its door open to cooperation with other parties if it serves the interests of Melaka and its people, says Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh.
The Melaka Chief Minister, who is also state Barisan chairman, said the coalition would weigh the benefits of any proposed cooperation against its potential drawbacks, with the people’s welfare remaining the priority.
“If the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, we can consider it and accept it. There is no problem,” he said after being sworn in for a second term as Melaka’s 13th Chief Minister yesterday.
Barisan and Perikatan Nasional secured a combined 24 of the 28 state seats in Saturday’s election, giving them more than a two-thirds majority.
Barisan won 21 seats, while Perikatan took three.
Asked whether Perikatan representatives would be appointed to the state executive council, Ab Rauf said the matter would depend on his assessment.
“That depends on my consideration. Certainly, every victory will bear fruit. The harvest will come when the tree bears fruit,” he said.
His remarks followed an earlier call by Barisan chairman and Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for Perikatan representatives to be included in the state executive council should Barisan succeeds in forming the state government.
Ab Rauf was also surprised by the scale of the victory, following a bruising campaign marked by attacks on both coalitions and criticism of his administration’s record.
He said the outcome showed that efforts to address voters’ needs had carried greater weight than a campaign of fear and disparagement.
“I told all candidates contesting under Barisan and Perikatan not to retaliate in the same manner, but to present the facts and remain composed,” he said.
However, he said the mandate should not be treated as a personal or partisan triumph.
“This is not my personal victory, nor merely a victory for political parties. It is a victory for the people’s confidence and hope in seeing Melaka continue to progress, remain stable and prosper,” he said.
Ab Rauf also announced a special holiday today to mark the coalition’s victory in Saturday’s state election.
The swearing-in ceremony was held at Seri Negeri in Ayer Keroh, where Ab Rauf took his oath of office before Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Mohd Ali Rustam.
It is his second term as Chief Minister. His first appointment to the post came on March 31, 2023, when he replaced Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali.
Ab Rauf, 65, retained Tanjung Bidara with a majority of 8,615 votes, up from 364 in the 2021 state election.
Born in Masjid Tanah, the former businessman has led Melaka Umno since 2018.
He is the Masjid Tanah Umno division chief and was re-elected to the Umno supreme council in 2023.
Ab Rauf was appointed Speaker of the state assembly in March 2020, despite not being an assemblyman at the time, following a change of state government.
He made his electoral debut in Tanjung Bidara in the 2021 state election and was appointed senior state executive councillor for investment, industry, entrepreneur development and cooperatives that November.
