Rauf, Akmal stay in their safe seats, MCA irked, risky seats left to PN

BN is not taking any risks in the Malacca state election, opting to contest only seats it or its Perikatan Nasional partner won previously – a move which has inadvertently upset MCA.

Caretaker chief minister Ab Rauf Yusoh will defend Tanjung Bidara for a second term, while Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh will stay in Merlimau despite previously indicating he would move to another seat.

Tanjung Bidara could have been a battleground had BN and PN contested against each other. During the 15th general election, PN secured 51 percent support in the constituency, compared with BN’s 41 percent.

With the two now aligned, Rauf (above) is likely to win with a landslide.

Likewise, Merlimau, where BN-PN support exceeded 50 percent, will likely be a walk in the park for Akmal.

Umno also appears to have swapped seats with PN, taking Sungai Udang in exchange for Paya Rumput. Both constituencies recorded combined BN-PN support of more than 50 percent.

MCA upset

Meanwhile, Chinese media reported that MCA president Wee Ka Siong and other party leaders walked out of the hall during the candidate announcements tonight, reportedly unhappy that the party would contest only two seats.

Machap Jaya and Kelebang were the only seats MCA won in the previous state election. Of the other five seats it contested in 2021, two were won by DAP and two by PN.

At an impromptu press conference later, Wee said MCA was unhappy that the seats had been handed to “the other side” without consultation.

“This is something we are extremely dissatisfied with,” he said in Mandarin.

Wee called on BN’s central leadership to intervene. Asked whether MCA would sit out the Malacca polls in protest, he said the party would wait to see how matters developed in the coming days.

MIC, meanwhile, will retain its sole seat, Gadek, as in the previous state election.

PN to take on Harapan

Under the arrangement, PN will bear the burden of challenging Pakatan Harapan in all five seats the coalition previously won: Ayer Keroh, Bukit Katil, Kesidang, Kota Laksamana, and Bandar Hilir. PN is scheduled to unveil its seven candidates for Malacca on Thursday.

BN's lack of risk-taking contrasts with Harapan’s strategy during the Negeri Sembilan polls, where they were incumbents facing a losing battle.

In that contest, then caretaker menteri besar from PKR, Aminuddin Harun, attempted to capture a BN stronghold, while DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke stayed to defend a seat in danger of flipping. Both ultimately lost.

Malacca, by contrast, is expected to be a shoo-in for BN and PN, who are likely to win a supermajority, meaning they could afford to take greater risks.

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