Twenty-Six Candidates Forfeit Deposits In Melaka State Polls, Led By Bersama

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 14  – A total of 26 candidates forfeited their election deposits in the 16th Melaka State Election on Saturday, November 14, 2026, after failing to secure at least one-eighth (12.5 percent) of the total valid votes counted in their respective constituencies.

Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) accounted for the bulk of the forfeitures, with 15 of its 16 candidates falling short of the minimum vote threshold required to retain their deposits.

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) saw five of its seven contenders lose their deposits, while Pakatan Harapan (PH) suffered two forfeitures among its 24 candidates—specifically in Ayer Limau (N.03) and Serkam (N.26).

Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), which fielded a sole candidate in the Gadek state constituency, along with all three independent candidates, also lost their contests and forfeited their deposits.

Largest and Narrowest Winning Majorities

Elsewhere in the state polls, Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates recorded both the widest and narrowest victory margins across the 28 state assembly seats:

• Largest Winning Majority (Sungai Udang): BN’s Datuk Rais Yasin secured the election’s widest margin with a majority of 16,214 votes, defeating challengers from Bersatu (2,103 votes) and Bersama (1,322 votes). Sungai Udang drew significant attention throughout the campaign, recording 22,195 ballots cast out of 29,692 registered electors.
• Smallest Winning Majority (Machap Jaya): BN incumbent Datuk Ngwe Hee Sem recorded the tightest winning margin after polling 6,686 votes to retain Machap Jaya in a three-cornered fight against PH’s Datuk Ginie Lim Siew Lin and Bersama’s Prasanth Kumar Brakasam. Ngwe previously won the seat with a 938-vote majority in the 2021 state election.

Deposit Forfeiture Breakdown and Constituency Margin Highlights

Key electoral forfeiture figures and extreme victory margins include:

• Total Forfeited Deposits: 26 candidates across Melaka failed to reach the one-eighth (12.5%) valid vote threshold.
• Party-by-Party Forfeitures: Bersama (15 of 16 candidates), Bersatu (5 of 7 candidates), PH (2 of 24 candidates—in Ayer Limau and Serkam), Putra (1 of 1 candidate in Gadek), and Independents (3 of 3 candidates).
• Largest Margin: Datuk Rais Yasin (BN – Sungai Udang), winning by 16,214 votes against Bersatu (2,103 votes) and Bersama (1,322 votes), with 22,195 of 29,692 electors voting.
• Narrowest Margin: Datuk Ngwe Hee Sem (BN – Machap Jaya), retaining the seat with 6,686 votes in a three-way race against PH’s Datuk Ginie Lim Siew Lin and Bersama’s Prasanth Kumar Brakasam.

–NMT