BN bukan ‘kingmaker’, penganalisis kata PN lebih potensi jadi penentu di Melaka

Analysts say Barisan Nasional (BN) cannot be considered as the kingmaker in the PRN Melaka as their decision to seek a coalition indicates the partnership may be less certain about their strength, according to Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri. If BN is truly confident about winning, it wouldn't rely on coalition talks, he said.

"Kingmaker who is truly strong is usually approached by others. If BN needs to find a partner to ensure victory, its position is more dependent on the partner needed in the coalition," he added. BN's chairman, Zahid Hamidi, said the coalition would evaluate the benefits and weaknesses before deciding on any political cooperation to face PRN Melaka.

The Chief Minister of Melaka, Ab Rauf Yusoh, who also chairs BN and Umno in the state, was given the mandate to hold talks on the form of cooperation. Syaza Shukri from Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia noted that BN's decision to seek a partner suggests it may not be confident enough to move forward alone. "I don't see BN as the kingmaker.

BN's position in Melaka is not certain based on the voting pattern in 2021 and 2022," she said. She added that Perikatan Nasional (PN) has an advantage as it can attract the support of Malay voters and potentially narrow the gap between BN. PN cooperation with BN could be more likely than BN-Pakatan Harapan (PH) due to PH's perceived more tentative stance.

However, BN should avoid being too confident and fail to reach an agreement with any party. "If no party wants to cooperate, we might see a three-cornered race that ultimately doesn't benefit BN," she said.