MELAKA - The announcement of eight Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) candidates on Thursday showed that four State Legislative Assembly seats the party is contesting will also be fought over by Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the Melaka state election on Nov 14.
The four seats are Klebang, Gadek, Ayer Keroh and Pengkalan Batu.
Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said the party was leaving it to Melaka voters to decide which candidate was best qualified to represent them in each constituency.
He said Bersatu would not practise the politics of “gata” (slander) or defamation and would instead offer policies focused on people’s welfare, economic growth and job creation.
“We will offer party policies as outlined by Bersatu vice-president Datuk Mohd Radzi Jidin. We are a party that cares about the people, and we are raising issues of the economy, growth and job creation.
“I think the people of Melaka are mature enough. They have changed governments in the past, and we hope this time they will again be mature and fair in giving Bersatu the chance to represent them,” he said.
He was speaking at the Bersatu candidate announcement ceremony for the Melaka election in Klebang on Thursday.
Asked about possible cooperation with parties contesting the same seats should Bersatu win them, Mohamed Azmin said the overlap meant the parties involved would compete in the election.
However, he described the contest as part of a healthy democratic process.
“In the context of an election, an overlap certainly means the parties concerned will compete.
“But our stand is that this is healthy competition in a democratic system.
“In the end, let the people decide who should represent them in those constituencies,” he said.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Confidence and Supply Agreement (CSA) signed with Bersatu and several opposition MPs served as the foundation for strengthening political stability and ensuring the smooth running of national administration.
He said the agreement also opened the way for national development agendas, including Budget 2027, to be implemented effectively for the benefit of the people.
Earlier, the government signed the CSA with six Bersatu MPs led by its president, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, and seven other MPs, including Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, at a meeting at Parliament building in Kuala Lumpur.