{
  "id": 16537756,
  "title": "Betul ke PRN Melaka ada kaitan dengan PRU16?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/betul-ke-prn-melaka-ada-kaitan-dengan-pru16-16537756",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-25T23:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2026/10/26/betul-ke-prn-melaka-ada-kaitan-dengan-pru16"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On October 22nd, BN Chairman Zahid Hamidi informed the gathered media that the party would announce a candidate for PRN Melaka along with PAS and their strategic allies on Saturday, October 24th. This was based on the constituency allocation that had been agreed upon between BN and PAS. The following day, on October 23rd, PAS Deputy President Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man denied that his party would contest the PRN Melaka candidate jointly with BN.\n\nPAS Melaka chief Ab Rauf Yusoh stated that this was a technical issue related to the status of the National Pact (PN) in court. For him, it was just a technical matter and should not be given much thought. Consequently, on Saturday, BN announced that their candidate for PRN Melaka would stand independently and not alongside PAS. Zahid Hamidi announced that BN would place candidates in 21 out of the 28 parliamentary seats for Melaka, leaving seven seats for PAS and their strategic allies.\n\nHowever, during Zahid's announcement, MCA President Wee Ka Siong and his team appeared in the hall to voice their dissatisfaction. Wee claimed that MCA was only given two seats to contest, while they had expected more representation. Wee accused the party allocation process of being unfair and without thorough consultation with his party. For him, this was just a drama and not a boycott of the PRN Melaka contest. A WhatsApp group member summarized the situation by saying, \"It's all a play - later they'll wink and hug each other.\"\n\nZahid emphasized that cooperation between BN and PAS in Melaka could bring them closer to Putrajaya if they achieved good results. He urged PAS and BN to set aside their long-standing enmity to help each other. \"If this harmony can be maintained, it will bring us closer to Putrajaya,\" he said during the PRN Melaka candidate announcement ceremony.\n\nZahid aimed to continue what he called a \"blue wave\" to Melaka after its success in Johor and Negeri Sembilan during the 2022 general elections. It was dubbed the \"blue wave\" after BN's victories in those states during PRU15 in 2022 and subsequent state elections. However, it is worth noting that this was achieved with PAS's cooperation. In PRN Johor, PAS secured 11 seats, while in Negeri Sembilan, they won five. PAS President Hadi Awang directed his supporters to vote for BN candidates, while PAS did not contest any seats. I repeat what I have stated in previous columns – BN (read: Umno) was successful in these states due to its partnership with PAS. PAS was willing to compromise on the number of seats they contested, as they believed that the electoral pact would lead to success. And indeed, it did. PAS accepted the offer because they understood that political survival depended on the political reality that they could not win in Johor and Negeri Sembilan on their own. Now, PAS is eager to accept only seven seats for contestation among themselves, Wawasan, Gerakan, MIPP, and Pejuang. Nevertheless, they will accept this offer. PAS is 'losing' again. But they accept this offer for the greater good. After all, the big picture is at stake. The question that has been repeatedly raised by me – when will PAS finally be satisfied? Will PAS be content with just peanuts when PRU16 comes around? How about Kelantan and Terengganu, two strongholds for PAS? And in Kedah and Perlis? Will PAS be smiling broadly and giving Umno a large number of seats? What is the reality in those two states – Umno will not win on its own.",
  "summary": "Pembahagian kerusi antara BN dan PAS di Melaka menimbulkan persoalan sama ada formula sama boleh bertahan pada PRU16.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}