PN eyes 6 seats in Melaka, warns that ‘traditional’ voters not guaranteed

Perikatan Nasional (PN) may contest six seats in the upcoming Melaka election under an agreement with Barisan Nasional (BN), according to PN Supreme Council member Idris Ahmad. However, formal seat negotiations have not commenced yet. Idris cautioned that parties should not overestimate their traditional support, as Malaysian politics has become more uncertain.

He cited an example from Pahang where PAS won several state seats in a parliamentary constituency but lost the parliamentary election. Today's voters are dynamic and unpredictable, and neither Umno nor PAS can assume they still have traditional supporters, he warned. PAS would not make unrealistic demands for seats, and would instead contest constituencies based on data, political atmosphere, and public reception.

For PN, they may contest around five to six seats, considering their strengths. The cooperation between BN and PN remains strong, but BN pledged to defend the 21 seats it won in the last Melaka election. Discussions on the formula for seat allocation are still ongoing, but the focus is on unity within the alliance. PAS hopes that their renewed relationship with Umno will be long-lasting, learning from past failures in previous pacts.