BN to Negotiate With Other Parties for Upcoming Melaka State Election, Says Ab Rauf

MELAKA, Sept 24 – Barisan Nasional (BN) expects to initiate negotiations with other political parties soon to discuss cooperation for the 16th Melaka State Election, according to Melaka BN Chairman Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh.

Ab Rauf, who also serves as Melaka Chief Minister, stated that discussions will commence once he receives official clearance from the top leadership of UMNO and BN.

“There will definitely be negotiations (with other parties),” Ab Rauf told reporters after attending an appreciation ceremony for Melaka state government retirees on Thursday.

Ab Rauf highlighted that the 21 state seats secured by BN during the 15th state election will serve as the core baseline for any upcoming seat distribution negotiations.

“That is the basis of our negotiations. Meaning, that is our right, and we can negotiate on the rest. That is the baseline,” he said.

The move follows Ab Rauf’s announcement on Tuesday regarding the dissolution of the Melaka State Legislative Assembly, which officially took effect on Wednesday.

Following the assembly’s dissolution, Election Commission (EC) Secretary Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that applications for domestic and international postal voting for the 16th Melaka State Election are now open across all eligible categories.

The EC noted that all postal voting applications must be submitted online through the MySPR portal, with the closing date to be announced in due course.

–NMT