‘Dah belasah Umno, sekarang nak kerjasama?,” pemimpin Pemuda soal PH

A Pemuda Umno leader has questioned Pakatan Harapan's (PH) desire to work with Barisan Nasional (BN) in Melaka, following Amirudin Shari's claim that the union had previously attacked the party on several issues. Hafiz Ariffin personally disagreed with the collaboration, which followed PH's founding and criticism of Umno, including in Johor and Negeri Sembilan aside from PKR's congress.

He posted on Facebook, "Now for cooperation? Haha, no thank you." Hafiz also alleged issues such as the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) and past long-standing cases to pressure Umno and BN. However, he did not specify the RCI or the case in question. Hafiz discussed media reports quoting PH Returning Officer Amirudin Shari expressing his party's readiness for formal discussions on political cooperation in the state.

According to Amirudin, he had contacted Ab Rauf Yusoh, BN Melaka's chief, but the state chief said he would wait for a final decision from the highest Umno and BN headquarters before starting further talks. Hafiz saw PH's desire for cooperation with BN in Melaka as a double-edged strategy, which he considered a preventive measure and subtle vote-selling.

He argued that cooperation with a party holding strong backing could be seen as an effort by PH to avoid continuous defeat in elections. At the same time, he claimed the offer could also be interpreted as an indication that political pressure may increase if cooperation is not achieved. Currently, BN holds 21 out of 28 DUN seats in Melaka, while PH holds five and Perikatan Nasional two.