Poser for Bersatu in Melaka polls

Bersatu party secretary-general Azmin Ali announced that the party intends to contest the upcoming Melaka election on its own, without cooperation from any other political party or coalition. Azmin's statement, according to an analyst, may reflect the strategic dilemma faced by the party as they navigate the complexities of the state election.

However, an opposing view was expressed by Tawfik Yaakub, a professor at Universiti Malaya, who stated that the comment from Azmin contradicts that of the Melaka Bersatu party, which expressed willingness to consider political cooperation to contest the election against Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS. Tawfik noted that this discrepancy highlights the difference between political considerations at the state level and strategic calculations at the national level.

He also explained that Melaka Bersatu's willingness to cooperate is rational, considering the state chapter's situation, including the strength of their election machinery and the risks of multi-cornered contests. Tawfik pointed out that Bersatu's lack of success in recent elections in Johor and Negeri Sembilan may have prompted the Melaka chapter to seek an electoral understanding rather than contesting the polls solo.

Azmin had previously stated that Bersatu would use its own logo during the Melaka election, similar to their strategy in Negeri Sembilan. The Melaka Bersatu party leader reported that a closed-door dinner held at a hotel in Melaka between state Bersatu and Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders served as an opportunity to discuss preparations for the state polls.

During this dinner, Melaka Bersatu election director Ali Mohamad reportedly expressed the state chapter's interest in exploring political cooperation against BN and PAS. However, Syaza Shukri, from International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), suggested that a potential understanding between PH and Bersatu would be best avoided, as grassroots members of both parties expressed dissatisfaction with the idea of cooperation.

IIUM academic Lau Zhe Wei argued that Bersatu's cooperation with PH would only benefit Bersatu and could only provide value to PH in Selangor, given Azmin's previous tenure as menteri besar in that state.