{
  "id": 328508,
  "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",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-08T12:10:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "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": "KUDAT, August 8 — The chairman of Barisan Nasional (BN), Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, has indicated that his party remains open to discussions regarding seat allocations for the upcoming Melaka State Election. However, the negotiations must be conducted in a fair and principled manner, according to the Deputy Prime Minister.\n\nZahid emphasized that any seat swaps proposed during the negotiations should maintain the integrity of the results, with the number of seats remaining unchanged. He reiterated that the position of any party that has won a seat should be respected and not simply transferred to political allies.\n\nThe BN leader clarified that seat swaps could be negotiated for other states under the control of the respective parties, as long as the exchanges were balanced. He cautioned that the negotiations should not be overly broad or completely closed off, stating, \"Our principle is that it is not impossible for the door to remain open for negotiations, but do not open it too wide and do not shut it completely.\"\n\nThese remarks were made during a press conference where Zahid officiated the Rungus Cultural Festival in Kudat, Melaka.",
  "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",
        "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."
}