{
  "id": 3705349,
  "title": "No compromise, BN defending 21 seats in Melaka polls, says Rauf",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/no-compromise-bn-defending-21-seats-in-melaka-polls-says-rauf-3705349",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-27T07:39:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/08/27/no-compromise-bn-defending-21-seats-in-melaka-polls-says-rauf"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Melaka Barisan Nasional (BN) will defend all 21 state seats they won in the 2021 assembly election, according to state chairman Ab Rauf Yusoh. Rauf made this stance clear, emphasizing that it is an unyielding condition for any party willing to cooperate with BN in the upcoming election. \"We will not compromise on the 21 seats; that is our bottom line for negotiations,\" he stated to reporters at the Melaka Digital Kampung Directional Alignment Workshop. When asked about discussions with three senior PAS leaders, Rauf welcomed any party interested in negotiations but insisted he could not finalize pacts without the BN Supreme Council's approval. He also acknowledged the possibility of dissolving the Melaka assembly at any time, as speculation suggests the dissolution could occur next month. The assembly comprises 28 seats, with BN securing 21, Pakatan Harapan claiming five, and Perikatan Nasional holding two after Rembia assemblyman Jailani Khamis defected to PAS before the state's anti-hopping law came into effect.",
  "summary": "Melaka BN chief says this is non-negotiable in discussions for a pact in the next state election.",
  "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."
}