{
  "id": 16721139,
  "title": "Fuziah: Too early to write off PH, PKR in Melaka polls",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/fuziah-too-early-to-write-off-ph-pkr-in-melaka-polls",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-27T07:10:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/10/1564660/fuziah-too-early-write-ph-pkr-melaka-polls"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "It is premature to declare Pakatan Harapan (PH) and the People's Justice Party (PKR) have low prospects of victory in Melaka's upcoming elections, according to PKR Secretary-General Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh. Dr Fuziah highlighted that historical political trends indicate that predictions might not always align with the electorate's actual choices. She emphasized that voters take into account factors such as performance, stability, and the party's capacity to govern. Dr Fuziah, while acknowledging the perspectives of political analysts, maintained that it is premature to dismiss PH and PKR's chances in Melaka. The election is not merely a game of predicting results, but a contest where parties must earn the trust of voters.\n\nPKR's Secretary-General expressed this sentiment in response to comments made by Universiti Malaya's Department of Political Science senior lecturer, Dr Mohammad Tawfik Yaakub, who argued that it would be challenging for PH to reclaim Melaka from Barisan Nasional (BN) or increase its seat count based on the current political scenario. Dr Tawfik noted that PH would need to win 15 out of the 28 contested seats. However, he pointed out several advantages for BN, including Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh's performance, the success of several BN assemblymen, and the strong grassroots support of Umno-BN in Melaka.\n\nYet, Dr Tawfik acknowledged four DAP-held seats in Kota Laksamana, Kesidang, Bandar Hilir, and Ayer Keroh as difficult for PH to contest, as they were won by significant margins in the previous election. In the 2021 Melaka poll, PH secured five seats, four through DAP and one through Amanah, while PKR did not win any seats. Dr Fuziah acknowledged the formidable challenges ahead but firmly stated that she never believed victory would come easily. She urged against prematurely writing off the potential of PKR and PH to challenge the existing political order. Ultimately, she stressed that an election's outcome is determined by which party convincingly convinces the voters, not by who makes the most compelling predictions.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: It is too early to conclude that Pakatan Harapan and PKR have slim chances of winning the Melaka election, PKR secretary-general Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh said.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Vibes",
        "title": "BN pledges settlement before nomination day following MCA’s backlash over Melaka candidates",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/bn-pledges-settlement-before-nomination-day-following-mcas-backlash",
        "published": "2026-10-27T05:41:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}