Melaka polls can’t be benchmark for GE16, says analyst

Former Umno leader Puad Zarkashi recently argued that parties should not engage in solo runs during the upcoming Melaka state elections to gauge their strength ahead of the 2026 general election. However, prominent analyst Azmi Hassan disagrees with this approach, stating that the Melaka polls, with its 28 seats, cannot accurately represent the parties' support at the national level.

A low turnout in the state election would make the results even less relevant to planning for GE16, according to Hassan. He believes using Melaka as a benchmark for determining the national election strategy would be unrealistic.

Azmi emphasized that alliances have become necessary in the current political landscape due to no single party securing enough seats to form the federal government. Former Umno leader Puad Zarkashi had previously suggested that parties going solo during the Melaka elections would allow them to gauge their actual strength and enter GE16 negotiations more humbly and realistically.

However, Azmi contested this notion, saying that parties should not take the risk of splitting votes if cooperation opportunities exist. International Islamic University Malaysia's Lau Zhe Wei also warned against solo runs, stating that multi-cornered fights would not accurately represent voter wishes due to Malaysia's first-past-the-post electoral system.