The ‘blue wave’ has swept through Melaka, with cooperation between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) delivering victory in 24 of the 28 state assembly seats.
BN emerged as the dominant force, winning 21 seats, while PN secured another three, giving the alliance a commanding majority in the state legislative assembly.
With 19 seats required for a two-thirds majority, the alliance has secured a supermajority.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) won only four of the 24 seats it contested, retaining all four DAP-held constituencies but losing Bukit Katil to PAS.
Bersatu failed to win any seat, while Bersama also came away empty-handed after losing all 16 seats it contested. Ibrahim Ali-led Putra lost in Gadek, the only constituency it contested.
BN-PN alliance consolidates Malay votes
The BN-PN alliance appeared to have once again consolidated Malay votes, as seen in the Negeri Sembilan polls in August, securing more comfortable victories than in several closely contested seats in the 2021 state election.
BN and PN won 13 seats in 2021 with majorities of fewer than 1,000 votes. This time, however, several constituencies recorded much wider winning margins, including Malay-majority seats such as Serkam and Tanjung Bidara.
BN had previously won Serkam and Tanjung Bidara by just 79 and 364 votes respectively.
The Umno-led coalition defended both seats this time with majorities of more than 10,000 votes, leaving PH candidates trailing far behind.
The Malay unity alliance also secured comfortable victories in the mixed constituencies of Pengkalan Batu and Duyong, where BN had previously won by just 131 and 200 votes respectively.
BN strengthens grip on Melaka
In the 2021 Melaka state election, BN secured a two-thirds majority after winning 21 seats.
Lendu assemblyman Sulaiman Ali was sworn in as chief minister for another term but resigned in March 2023 to make way for state Umno chief Ab Rauf Yusoh.
Melaka has long been regarded as an Umno stronghold, with the party holding the chief minister’s post until 2018, when PH took control of the state in a general election that also saw BN lose federal power.
However, BN regained the chief minister’s post following the Sheraton Move in February 2020, when Bersatu withdrew from the PH government and joined forces with MPs from PKR and Umno to form a new coalition.
