Malacca BN firm on 21 seats, open to swaps; state Harapan to go solo

As political negotiations intensify ahead of the Malacca state election, BN insists on contesting 21 seats while Pakatan Harapan remains steadfast in going solo.

Malacca BN chairperson Ab Rauf Yusoh said the coalition was open to discussing seat swaps with potential partners but would not compromise on the total number of seats it contests.

“The 21 seats are a boundary I have made clear, and we are negotiating to retain that number.

“We are discussing possible swaps involving several seats, but the total must remain at 21,” The Star reported.

The figure is based on the number of seats BN won in the previous state election.

Rauf added that any alliance by BN would be announced before nomination day, after the proposals had been deliberated and endorsed by the Umno supreme council.

The caretaker chief minister also confirmed that he had received all candidate names proposed by Umno division chiefs, but said further scrutiny was needed before the final selections were made.

“All the names have been handed to me. They still need to be studied and analysed from every angle before I can make an assessment,” he was quoted as saying.

Lone Harapan

Meanwhile, Malacca Harapan deputy chairperson Khoo Poay Tiong has reaffirmed the coalition’s decision to contest the state election on its own.

Khoo (below), who is also Malacca DAP chairperson, said the leadership of state Harapan component parties had already agreed not to form any electoral pact, with any objections considered as personal views.

“There will be no cooperation; we have reached a final decision where the three parties (PKR, DAP, Amanah) have agreed that Harapan will contest solo. 

“We will explain the Malacca Harapan stance to the central leadership to obtain feedback,” Khoo was quoted as saying by Berita Harian.

He added that DAP would contest eight seats in Malacca, leaving the remaining 20 seats to be negotiated among the other PKR and Amanah.

Khoo acknowledged the arrangement would make it difficult for Harapan to form the state government, but said the coalition was prepared to serve as a check and balance if it remained in opposition.

“We certainly hope to form the government, but we also need to be realistic. Personally, I admit that winning the seats [to form the state government] is no easy task.

“In Negeri Sembilan, even though we had formed the state government for eight years, we ultimately lost due to the ‘blue and green waves’,” he was quoted as saying.

Previously, Khoo ruled out any Harapan-Bersatu pact for the state polls, describing cooperation with Bersatu as a “red line” amid the two parties' falling out following the 2020 Sheraton Move.

He also said the chances of Harapan and BN repairing their strained ties were slim, citing Umno's criticisms of Harapan and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the coalition’s chairperson.

The Malacca polls will see candidates vying for all 28 seats in the state. The Election Commission has set Nov 14 as polling day, with nominations on Oct 31.

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