Biggest winners and losers of the Melaka polls

Two weeks of campaigning for the 16th Melaka state election culminated in yet another landslide victory for the Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional alliance, which easily secured a two-thirds majority in the state assembly.

Pakatan Harapan was left licking its wounds after losing a key stronghold to BN-PN, while its electoral pact with Bersatu failed to produce much impact.

These are the biggest winners and losers of the Melaka polls.

Winner – BN and Rauf

Despite making way for PN in five constituencies, BN managed to repeat its haul of 21 seats from 2021 to ensure it will lead the Melaka government once again,

Melaka BN chairman Ab Rauf Yusoh has been nominated for a second term as chief minister, after his risky move to drop several senior figures as BN candidates paid off. This included Melaka Wanita Umno chief Kalsom Noordin, state MIC chief VP Shanmugam and former executive councillor Rahmad Mariman.

Rauf’s move is expected to solidify support for him to continue as chief minister, a post to which he was appointed in 2023 after the resignation of Sulaiman Ali following months of speculation that Rauf was manoeuvering for the post.

Loser – PKR

PKR fielded 10 candidates, the most among PH’s three parties, but failed to win a single contest. The most stinging defeats may have been in Paya Rumput and Kelebang, where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s aides were fielded.

Anwar’s political secretary, Azman Abidin, and Farzana Hayani Nasir, an officer in the Prime Minister’s Office, were routed in Paya Rumput and Kelebang, respectively. The PKR president’s pleas for Malaccans to elect candidates who had a “direct line” clearly did not work.

After yet another disastrous electoral performance which makes it appear to be growing weaker and weaker. questions will be asked of PKR’s relevance as the leading member of PH.

Winner – PAS

PAS went from holding just one state seat in Melaka, through the defection of an Umno assemblyman, to winning two seats via the ballot box yesterday, expanding its footprint in a state traditionally known as an Umno stronghold.

The Islamic party recorded decisive victories in its two contests.

In Paya Rumput, Anwar’s political secretary was defeated by Rafie Ahmad of PAS, but the sweeter victory was perhaps in Bukit Katil, with PAS wresting the seat from former chief minister Adly Zahari, a vice-president of Amanah, which is an offshoot of the Islamic party.

Loser – Amanah

On that note, Adly’s defeat in Bukit Katil after two terms as its assemblyman delivered a bruising blow to Amanah, which contested just seven seats, like DAP, but failed to win a single one.

Adly was PH’s most prominent candidate and remains liked by many Malaccans, but that proved to be no match for the Malay unity narrative espoused by the BN-PN alliance.

Amanah leaders would be left red-faced after their chest-beating predictions of winning four to seven seats, and will need to hold some serious self-reflection if they are to avoid a wipeout in the next general election.

Consolation prize – Bersama

The PKR splinter party Bersama lost all its 16 contests but would be able to find some encouragement in its performance in Bemban.

Its candidate, Dr Solehin Saleh, garnered 4,140 votes to emerge the runner-up to Wawasan’s Dr Yadzil Yaakub, who won with a 7,741-vote majority. Solehin finished ahead of Bersatu’s Rabaie Ab Hamid, who polled 2,109 votes.

However, Bersama’s performance in the other seats left much to be desired, its candidates drawing only a negligible number of votes.

Loser – Amirudin

PKR vice-president Amirudin Shari will have to take responsibility for yet another major PH defeat, his second as PH election director after the Negeri Sembilan polls.

One of the strategies Amirudin is believed to have spearheaded was the electoral pact with Bersatu, which failed to produce much impact for either side and also received opposition from certain leaders, especially DAP.

It remains to be seen how long PH will entrust Amirudin with this responsibility, and if he will still be directing the coalition’s election strategy come GE16.

Loser – Bersatu

Bersatu was handed another thumping defeat as all seven of its candidates lost. As at the Sabah, Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections, the party again failed to win a single seat.

Muhyiddin Yassin’s party failed to turn its electoral pact with PH into meaningful outcomes, and questions will be asked about its direction heading into GE16.

A more immediate matter may be its membership in Perikatan Nasional. If it fails to form a more cohesive and substantial alliance, Bersatu looks set for another disastrous outing at the national general election.

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