Amanah has called on Barisan Nasional (BN) to be more open in negotiating seats for the upcoming Melaka and Johor state elections. The party warned that three-cornered fights remain a possibility if an agreement cannot be reached.
Amanah communications director Khalid Abdul Samad stated that his party’s final decision would depend on the stance adopted by Umno and BN. He emphasised that any seat distribution must genuinely reflect the spirit of the Unity Government.
He noted that most state seats in Melaka and Johor are currently held by BN representatives.
Call for Fair Distribution
“If the state elections are held, seat negotiations must be conducted fairly for all parties within the Unity Government to ensure a balanced distribution,” Khalid said at a press conference following the Kada New Year 2026 mandate ceremony in Kota Bharu.
He argued that the ‘incumbent stays’ policy should be discontinued, as it could disadvantage component parties of Pakatan Harapan (PH).
“If we continue with the incumbency policy, it is clearly unfair. We hope Umno and BN will be open to handing over some of their seats to partners in the Unity Government,” he added.
Background on Negotiations
It was previously reported that Umno’s ‘Rumah Bangsa’ concept is likely to be tested during the Melaka state election.
Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was quoted as saying that the details of this concept for the state polls have not been finalised and will be discussed soon.
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