PH, Bersatu leaders attend dinner, amid speculation of talks on Melaka polls

A closed-door dinner took place in Melaka ahead of the upcoming state election, bringing together leaders from both the Pakatan Harapan and Bersatu parties. The evening's attendees included Melaka PH chairman Adly Zahari, Bersatu information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz, election director Mohammad Ali Mohamad, and others such as R Sri Sanjeevan and Hishamuddin Karim. Among the other party representatives spotted were Ashraf Mukhlis Minghat from Melaka Amanah, and Adam Adli, the acting PKR leader.

The dinner aimed to facilitate discussions on potential alliances for the state election, according to Bersatu's Hishamuddin. The event was described as informal, with no official agenda, though it brought together roughly 25 party chairmen and election directors. Following the dinner, Ali and Adly were scheduled to deliver speeches.

Melaka PH chairman Adly had previously stated that the PH Plus formula would be employed in the state election, emphasizing cooperation with other parties sharing similar goals. However, he clarified that at this stage, Barisan Nasional was not included in these talks. Talks with Bersatu on political cooperation were ongoing, though no final decision had been reached regarding collaboration.

Adly had earlier announced on September 19 that Melaka PH was in the process of negotiating with parties sharing comparable aspirations, including Bersatu, to form a "PH Plus" alliance for the state election, based on decisions made at a PH presidential council meeting. On September 24, Tun Faisal indicated that ongoing talks on an electoral pact with other parties were underway in preparation for the Melaka polls.