PH hilang kubu kuat di Melaka, sekali lagi kecundang pada PRN

Melaka's Pakatan Harapan (PH) party suffered another crushing defeat, marking the fourth consecutive electoral loss since the state elections in Sabah, Johor, and Negeri Sembilan. The party fielded 24 candidates out of 28 DUN Melaka seats, collaborating with former allies, Bersatu, in seven constituencies. Anwar Ibrahim's coalition triumphed in four seats, one less than the five seats won in PRN 2021.

Meanwhile, Bersatu failed to secure any seats, including four strongholds won during the 2021 PRN, and three areas where both PH and opposition candidates contested. Among PH's component parties, DAP demonstrated the best performance, retaining four seats they won five years ago, while Amanah lost its sole seat. PKR once again failed to win any seats, mirroring its fate in PRN 2021.

DAP successfully defended its two key seats with Chinese majorities - Bandar Hilir and Kota Laksamana - as well as two mixed seats, Kesidang and Ayer Keroh. However, Amanah faced significant setbacks when its vice-president, Adly Zahari, who also served as the former Melaka Menteri Besar from 2018 to 2020, lost to PAS candidate Ridzuan Sarif in Bukit Katil after holding the seat for two rounds.

Adly, who governed the state from 2018 to 2020, was the most prominent PH candidate besides serving as a coalition candidate for regional administration. His loss in Bukit Katil, a mixed constituency with roughly 64% Malay voters, reflected the overall failure of PH to win Malay voter unity through collaboration with Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN).

The PH's cooperation with the former ally, Bersatu, appeared to lack purpose and clear commitment, failing to make a meaningful impact on the election outcome. Factors contributing to this situation might include internal opposition within PKR against cooperation with Bersatu, a party involved in the Sheraton Step that led to the downfall of the federal PH government from 2018 to 2020.

The PRN Melaka result is expected to strengthen calls for earlier general elections, but the question remains how PH can address the Malay unity narrative brought by BN and PN. BN's resounding victory in PRN Melaka 2021 prevents them from winning any of the six parliamentary seats in the state during PRU 2022. However, this situation might change during the upcoming PRU, potentially influenced by further Malay unity efforts through BN-PN collaboration.