Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has backed Ab Rauf Yusoh to remain Melaka Chief Minister if BN and its strategic partners win the Nov 14 state election.
Speaking at the launch of the BN election machinery for the Jasin parliamentary constituency at Dewan Alamanda on Friday night (Oct 23), Zahid expressed confidence in Ab Rauf’s leadership.
“Who else would we choose? With Ab Rauf, what you ‘order’ is exactly what Melaka will get,” he said.
Although Zahid did not formally announce BN’s chief ministerial candidate, his remarks indicated support for Ab Rauf to continue leading the state.
Zahid said Melaka was fortunate to have a chief minister who worked tirelessly for the party and the state.
He said Ab Rauf’s potential had become evident when he served as Umno executive secretary, adding that he had encouraged him to return to Melaka.
“I told him, ‘Rauf, go back to Melaka’,” Zahid said.
Zahid praises Ab Rauf’s approach
Zahid praised Ab Rauf, who is also Melaka Umno chief, for his approach to engaging with the public, including riding a motorcycle to meet residents.
“I have never seen another chief minister or mentri besar in this country doing this on a motorcycle,” he said.
He urged BN’s election machinery to rally behind Ab Rauf and work towards securing victory for BN candidates and those from its strategic partners.
BN rejects PN’s request for more seats
Meanwhile, BN has rejected Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) request for two additional seats under their electoral pact for the Nov 14 Melaka state election.
Zahid said the Umno-led coalition would maintain its plan to contest 21 seats, while allocating seven to PN, Bernama reported.
He said the arrangement had already been agreed upon by PN.
“I have heard about efforts to seek additional seats, but we already have an agreement to allow them to contest the seven seats BN is not contesting. We leave it to PN’s components to distribute those seats among themselves.
“That is the decision for now, and we will stand by what we have mutually agreed upon,” he was quoted as saying.
PN previously disputed seat agreement
PN had previously denied that seat negotiations with BN were finalised after Zahid announced that “PAS and its friends” had agreed to contest seven seats under the arrangement.
PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man later appealed for PN to be allocated two additional seats.
In the 2021 Melaka state election, BN won 21 seats, while Pakatan Harapan secured five and PN won two through Bersatu.
PAS later gained a seat after Rembia assemblyman Jailani Khamis defected from Umno to the Islamic party, before the state’s anti-hopping law came into effect.
