MELAKA – Barisan Nasional (BN), in an electoral pact with Perikatan Nasional (PN) under the Muafakat Melaka arrangement, has retained control of the Melaka state government after securing a landslide victory in the 16th state election, winning 24 of the 28 seats contested.
Official results published on the Election Commission (EC) website showed that BN won 21 seats, while PN secured three through its allies, Pas (two) and Parti Wawasan Negara (one).
The victory also saw Wawasan make its debut in the state assembly.
Pakatan Harapan (PH), meanwhile, was left with four seats, all retained by DAP in Kesidang, Ayer Keroh, Kota Laksamana and Bandar Hilir.
The combined 24-seat tally gives the BN-PN alliance a commanding two-thirds majority in the 28-seat state assembly.
Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, who is also Melaka BN chairman, retained Tanjung Bidara with a majority of 8,615 votes, a significant increase from the narrow 364-vote majority he secured in the 2021 state election.
He polled 10,079 votes against PH candidate Mohd Yunazri Mustamiri, who received 1,464 votes.
Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh also retained Merlimau, defeating PH candidate Rahayu Hamzah.
BN candidate Datuk Khaidirah Abu Zahar, who was previously active in the entertainment industry, retained Rim in a straight fight against PH’s Esma Eazreen Husin.
The coalition also retained Gadek through its sole MIC candidate, S. Nadarajah. One of eight new faces fielded by BN, the Melaka MIC deputy chairman secured 6,472 votes and a majority of 3,514.
Melaka MCA chairman Datuk Lim Ban Hong and his deputy, Datuk Ngwe Hee Sem, also retained Klebang and Machap Jaya respectively.
Other seats won by BN included Duyong, Kuala Linggi, Ayer Limau, Taboh Naning, Rembia, Durian Tunggal, Asahan, Sungai Udang, Pantai Kundor, Ayer Molek and Telok Mas.
Pas also contributed to the alliance’s strong performance, with its candidate Muhammad Ridzuan Mohd Sarif defeating PH’s Amanah vice-president and former Melaka chief minister Adly Zahari in a four-cornered contest in Bukit Katil.
Adly, who is now Deputy Defence Minister, had won the seat in the 2021 state election with a majority of 1,057 votes.
Pas secured another victory in Paya Rumput when its candidate, Rafie Ahmad, defeated PH candidate Datuk Azman Abidin, the Prime Minister’s political secretary, in a three-cornered contest.
The seat was previously held by BN but allocated to PN under the electoral cooperation agreement between the two coalitions for this election.
Meanwhile, Wawasan made its mark in Bemban when its candidate, Dr Mohd Yadzil Yaakub, defeated three other challengers, including Dr Akmal’s brother, Dr Muhammad Solehin Saleh, who contested under the Bersama banner.
Dr Yadzil had won the seat in the previous state election as a Bersatu candidate.
Bersatu, however, failed to win any of the seats it contested.
The scale of the BN-PN victory had become increasingly apparent even before the official results were finalised.
At about 8pm, Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki announced that the two coalitions had unofficially crossed the simple-majority threshold of 15 seats required to form the next state government.
About 20 minutes later, he announced that the alliance had secured an unofficial two-thirds majority after winning 19 seats.
The election recorded a voter turnout of 70.59 per cent, higher than the 65.85 per cent recorded in the 2021 state election.