Melaka Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ab Rauf Yusoh says his priority in the upcoming state election is not securing another term as chief minister, but ensuring the coalition wins a strong mandate from voters.
He said his push for BN to retain control of the state was aimed at ensuring political continuity.
“Reappointment is not my inducement for remaining in politics. What is important is that we work hard to win.
“It is pointless to fantasise (about posts) when we fail to win at elections,” he told FMT.
Zahid says Ab Rauf will be nominated for CM’s post
Ab Rauf was responding to BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who said he would be nominated for the chief minister’s post if the coalition retained power in Melaka in the Nov 14 state election.
Ab Rauf was appointed Melaka’s 13th chief minister in March 2023, succeeding Sulaiman Md Ali.
The Melaka Umno chief also said he would not allow overconfidence to affect his bid to defend the Tanjung Bidara seat.
“I believe that the party’s ability and my experience cannot be matched by others.”
Slim majority in previous election
The Malay-majority constituency is considered an Umno stronghold. However, Ab Rauf retained the seat in the last state election with a slim majority of 364 votes, securing 3,559 votes in a three-cornered contest.
Bersatu’s Mas Ermieyati Samsudin came in second with 3,195 votes.
This time, Ab Rauf will face a straight fight against Pakatan Harapan’s Yunazri Mustamiri.
He said prominent candidates did not automatically benefit constituents, particularly if they were not locals.
He added that elected representatives needed to understand the needs and lifestyles of the communities they sought to represent.
“Before becoming an elected representative, one must first be one with the community they intend to represent.”
Ab Rauf cites local roots as an advantage
Ab Rauf believes his background gives him an advantage over his challenger.
Born and raised in Tanjung Bidara to a rubber tapper father and a housewife mother, he said he understood the needs of local residents and the changes required in the constituency.
“I will leverage my experience to usher in greater development, especially for the youth,” he said.
