Rundingan kerusi Melaka penting untuk kerjasama BN-PN, kata penganalisis

Analysts warn that negotiations between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) over seat distribution in the Melaka State Legislative Assembly (DUN Melaka) could test the informal cooperation between the two coalitions. With BN aiming to retain all 21 seats it won in the 2022 DUN Melaka polls, failure to reach a compromise could have broader implications for smooth cooperation between the two blocs, according to Mazlan Alim from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

"If they cannot reach an agreement on the Melaka seat distribution, how can they resolve it in Kelantan and Terengganu for the 2026 PRU?" he asked FMT, noting that BN lost all 12 seats in Kelantan and Terengganu in the 2022 general election. If both blocs fail to reach a consensus, Melaka could see a three-way contest involving BN, PN, and Pakatan Harapan (PH) for all 28 DUN seats.

While PAS was unimpressed with BN's insistence on retaining all 21 seats in the 2021 PRN Melaka, Mazlan believes any early issues can be solved well. Most importantly, he stresses that ongoing cooperation between BN and PN must continue. The PRN Melaka will serve as a real test of BN-PN cooperation, as PN enters the negotiations with a stronger position, having won the parliamentary seats of Jasin, Tangga Batu, and Masjid Tanah.

BN did not hold any parliamentary seats in Melaka but won 21 DUN seats in the previous PRN, while PN only secured two seats via PAS. PAS is unlikely to give up seats it holds strongly. Meanwhile, Azmi Hassan from Akademi Nusantara believes BN and PN will eventually reach a compromise, with BN retaining its 21 seats and the remaining ones going to PN for contestation.

He thinks seven seats would be enough for PN in a state with only 28 DUN seats, adding that if both parties fail to cooperate, PH would benefit the most.