{
  "id": 327946,
  "title": "Seat swaps possible in Melaka, Zahid says negotiations must remain fair and principled",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/seat-swaps-possible-in-melaka-zahid-says-negotiations-must-remain",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-08T12:10:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/08/08/seat-swaps-possible-in-melaka-zahid-says-negotiations-must-remain-fair-and-principled/230632"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Melaka, on August 8, is a state where the Barisan Nasional (BN) party remains open to negotiations for seat allocations, including the possibility of seat swaps, according to BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the negotiations must be fair and conducted in good faith, ensuring that the seats won by any party are respected and not simply transferred to political partners. Zahid clarified that the Melaka Chief Minister, who holds the position of Melaka BN chairman, had stated that any seats won in a negotiation must be respected. He added that seat swaps could be negotiated, provided the total number of seats remained unchanged. Zahid also mentioned that negotiations could extend to other states controlled by the respective parties, as long as the exchanges were balanced. He concluded by stating that while the door to negotiations remains open, they should not be pursued excessively or closed entirely.",
  "summary": "KUDAT, Aug 8 — Barisan Nasional (BN) remains open to negotiations on seat allocations for the Melaka State Electio...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Seat swaps possible in Melaka, Zahid says negotiations must remain fair and principled",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/seat-swaps-possible-in-melaka-zahid-says-negotiations-must-remain-328508",
        "published": "2026-08-08T12:10:05.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "BN open to Melaka seat talks and swaps, says Zahid",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/bn-open-to-melaka-seat-talks-and-swaps-says-zahid",
        "published": "2026-08-08T12:38:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}