'Not long now' – Rauf says on Melaka polls

KUALA LUMPUR – The Melaka state election is drawing closer, with Melaka Umno chairman Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh saying it will be announced “not long from now”.

Rauf, who is also Melaka Chief Minister, however stopped short of revealing the exact timing, saying it would be announced when the time was right.

“Insya-Allah, not long from now. When the time comes, I will announce it. The timing is neither too long nor too short,” he said at the 2026 Umno General Assembly today.

Asked whether preparations had already begun, Rauf jokingly said Umno’s groundwork had started “two years ago”, before suggesting that the final stages would begin as the state assembly dissolution draws closer.

He also stressed that Umno would defend all 21 state seats it currently holds and would not compromise on them in any discussions with other parties.

“We cannot compromise on these 21 seats. We will contest in our own seats and defend the seats that we have won,” he said.

Rauf said any negotiations with political parties interested in forming strategic cooperation in Melaka would only take place after the state assembly was dissolved.

“We will leave it to the people to choose who the best strategic partners are for the Melaka state government,” he said.

He also described Melaka’s political landscape as different from other states, saying the state would continue with the BN Plus approach.

Meanwhile, when asked about the identity of the mysterious “Guru” mentioned in the current political narrative, Ab Rauf chose to keep the matter under wraps.

“If you ask about Guru, I also do not know who it is. I think we do not need to question who it is. Let it remain a mystery in the political agenda,” he said.