PETALING JAYA: Seat negotiations between Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional for the upcoming Melaka state election will put to the test the “Malay unity” ideal both coalitions are espousing, an analyst said.
Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri of Global Asia Consulting said Umno and PAS – the respective lynchpins of BN and PN – could both put forward strong arguments to claim seats in Malay-majority areas.
BN is structurally sturdy and has a track record of winning in Melaka, while PN has an edge in serving as an alternative to Umno among the Malay electorate, he said.
Zaharuddin said Umno would likely claim seats on grounds that it is the incumbent and, therefore, has an established history and network.
PAS, meanwhile, could argue that voting trends among the Malays are shifting, that it has a strong grassroots presence, and that momentum is on its side, he said, adding that both arguments may hold water.
He said BN would not want to give up too many seats, while PAS would not want to be allocated too few.
“But there can only be one candidate (for each seat). This is where ‘Malay unity’ will be put to the test.
“Unity on stage is easy, but harder when it comes to the ballot box,” he told FMT.
BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said cooperation with PN would be extended to the Melaka election following the two coalitions’ victory in Negeri Sembilan on Aug 1, where they reached an understanding not to contest against each other.
Zahid, however, later said BN would defend the 21 seats it won in the previous Melaka polls.
There are 28 seats up for grabs.
Zaharuddin said another challenge would be vote transfers between PAS and Umno, which were far more complicated than seat negotiations.
He said collaboration between the two parties did not automatically guarantee that Umno supporters would back PAS candidates, and vice versa.
“The Malay-majority seats will be the real battleground. This is where seat negotiations (between the two parties) will be difficult,” he said.
Separately, A Aziz Azizam of Universiti Teknologi MARA said both PAS and Umno recognise that Melaka is not a state where they have their strongest support.
“The alliance between Umno and PAS is an opportunity for them to win more seats,” he said.
