State-Level Rivalry Will Not Threaten Federal Stability as Melaka BN Aims to Defend 21 Seats, Says Zahid

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 6 — Political competition at the state level will not impact the stability of the federal administration, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi affirmed today, even as Barisan Nasional (BN) prepares to defend all 21 state seats it currently holds in the upcoming 16th Melaka state election.

Speaking at the Rural and Regional Development Ministry’s (KKDW) monthly assembly, Ahmad Zahid explained that the MADANI Unity Government operates under a foundational agreement that remains valid and binding until Parliament is dissolved. He emphasized that local political developments—including outcome dynamics in Johor and Negeri Sembilan—will not alter the direction of national policy implementation or interrupt government programmes.

“As long as Parliament is not dissolved, the federal government will continue to function, the administration will carry on, and every responsibility entrusted to us by the people will be fulfilled as usual,” Ahmad Zahid said.

Ahmad Zahid, who also serves as BN chairman, clarified that participating in a coalition government does not require political parties to surrender their individual identities or core principles. He outlined the concept of political autonomy within coalition frameworks, drawing comparisons to political systems in nations such as Australia and Japan where coalition partners compete at regional levels while maintaining cooperative governance at the national level.

“Each party still has the space to determine its own strategy, preserve its support base and offer choices to the people, as long as the commitments under the agreement to form the government continue to be honoured,” Ahmad Zahid stated. “In the context of the current government, once the mandate has been given and the government has been formed, the responsibility of governing must take precedence over all political differences.”

Addressing BN’s electoral strategy for Melaka, Ahmad Zahid revealed that Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, who chairs Melaka BN, has set a firm target to defend all 21 state seats won by the coalition in the previous state election.

“The chief minister has expressed his determination to retain all 21 seats,” Ahmad Zahid told reporters after the assembly.

Despite setting a target to defend its incumbent seats, Ahmad Zahid noted that BN remains open to negotiating electoral arrangements with other political parties, provided that any consensus receives approval from the coalition’s central leadership.

“There will certainly be discussions among all parties. As the Melaka chief minister has said, he is very open to them. The central BN leadership will be consulted and will make the final decision on any agreement reached,” he added.

The federal Unity Government was established in November 2022 after the 15th General Election (GE15) resulted in a hung parliament, leading to a coalition comprising Pakatan Harapan (PH), BN, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), and aligned parties under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. State political alignments have varied, such as in Negeri Sembilan, where BN partnered with Perikatan Nasional (PN) to form a state government with a two-thirds majority following state polls on Aug 1.

–NMT