Malacca next, Zahid says after BN victory in N Sembilan

N SEMBILAN POLLS | With unofficial results backing a BN-led government in Negeri Sembilan, coalition chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi expressed hopes for a repeat victory in the upcoming Malacca polls.

During his speech at BN headquarters in Negeri Sembilan, Zahid described his coalition's success as a "blue wave" and referred to ally Perikatan Nasional's wins as a "dark blue wave".

"This result will bring forth, God willing, the blue and dark blue waves that began in Johor to continue to spread to Malacca," the Umno president said.

After making the statement, Parti Wawasan Negara president Hamzah Zainudin, who was seated beside Zahid and is himself a former Umno leader, reacted with visible delight.

The Malacca state assembly will be automatically dissolved in December.

According to an unofficial tally, BN has 18 seats in hand while PN has captured seven seats for a total of 25 seats between the two coalitions, allowing them a two-thirds majority in the 36-seat state legislature.

Johor victory

Last month, BN retained its hold on the Johor state government by winning 48 out of 56 seats, adding eight more seats compared to the last state election in March 2022.

Pakatan Harapan, which is now the only opposition in Johor, won eight seats, down from the 12 it held previously.

The other major coalition, PN, was wiped out from all three seats it once held.

However, BN and PN then announced an electoral pact for the Negeri Sembilan polls, in a bid to maximise their chances against Harapan.

On July 30, former DAP lawmaker Ong Kian Ming said Harapan's defeat in Negeri Sembilan might be the final nail in the Madani government's coffin, predicting that such an outcome would destabilise the federal government and potentially cause an early general election.

Ong said the repercussions could be particularly severe if senior DAP leaders lose their seats - a situation which became reality when unofficial results showed that party secretary-general Anthony Loke lost his Chennah seat to MCA’s Siow Kong Choon.

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