MELAKA, Aug 10 — Any political agreement involving Barisan Nasional (BN) for the Melaka state election must be formally decided and should not be based on speculation or discussions on social media, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said.
Ab Rauf, who is also Melaka BN chairman, said any negotiations on political cooperation should take into account various factors, including the strengths, weaknesses and advantages of each party before a decision is made.
He said parties interested in forming cooperation with BN for the state election were welcome to hold negotiations, but stressed that such talks would not necessarily result in an alliance.
“Negotiations do not necessarily have to end with the formation of a partnership. Many factors have to be considered before a person or party can become our partner.
“So I have always stressed that we should not draw conclusions from any unofficial discussions. This time, any agreement must be properly formalised and officially confirmed,” he told reporters at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) in Ayer Keroh here today.
Earlier, Ab Rauf officiated at the August 2026 monthly assembly of the state administration and the launch of the National Month and Jalur Gemilang Flag-Waving Campaign 2026 at the state level.
Ab Rauf, who is also Melaka Umno chairman, said BN would defend the 21 seats it won in the previous state election, while the remaining seven seats could be open for negotiations, including the possibility of seat swaps.
The 15th Melaka state election in 2021 saw BN win 21 of the 28 seats, followed by Pakatan Harapan (PH) with five and Perikatan Nasional (PN) with two.
The mandate of the Melaka state government ends on December 31. — Bernama
