Asyraf: BN to defend 21 seats in Melaka, 7 more under negotiation

Barisan Nasional (BN) is still negotiating with other political parties over the allocation of seats for the upcoming Melaka election, according to Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki. The party is defending the 21 seats it previously won, while negotiations over the remaining seven seats, including potential seat swaps, are ongoing.

These discussions have reached 90% completion. Asyraf emphasized the importance of perpaduan ummah (national unity) between the two largest Malay political parties. He declined to disclose which specific party BN was negotiating with, stating that the details would be revealed only after finalizing the negotiations. Asyraf also stressed that cooperation between parties should be based on genuine friendship and mutual trust, cautioning against friendly appearances with backstabbing behavior.

The Election Commission has set November 14 for the poll, with nomination day on October 31 and early voting on November 10. In the 2021 election, BN won 21 out of the 28 seats in Melaka, while Pakatan Harapan secured five and Perikatan Nasional two.