Dr Akmal urges Melaka voters to turn out and fulfil their responsibility

MERLIMAU – Barisan Nasional (BN) Merlimau incumbent Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh has urged eligible voters, particularly Melakans, to fulfil their responsibility by casting their ballots in the 16th Melaka state election today.

Dr Akmal, who is also Umno Youth chief, said the voting process had been running smoothly, while expressing appreciation to Election Commission (EC) officers for ensuring the process was carried out efficiently.

“Alhamdulillah, I have fulfilled my responsibility as a voter in the 16th Melaka state election today, together with my family.

“So far, the voting process has been running smoothly, with many voters already coming out to cast their ballots this morning.

“I would therefore like to urge all eligible voters, particularly the people of Melaka, to fulfil their responsibility by casting their votes today,” he said.

He told reporters after casting his vote at SK Merlimau, Melaka, today.

On BN’s preparations should the coalition retain power, Dr Akmal said the party would continue its existing initiatives and commitments to the people, including programmes aimed at engaging directly with local communities.

“If BN wins tonight, we will continue fulfilling our responsibilities to the people, as we have done over the past four years and are now entering our fifth year.

“As announced by the Chief Minister, we will continue programmes such as Wakil Rakyat Untuk Rakyat, which involves visiting villages throughout the state.

“Our priority is not only to fulfil our manifesto commitments but also to assist the people, address their complaints and resolve the problems they face to make things easier for the community, particularly the people of Melaka,” he said.

Comparing this year’s election campaign with the previous state polls in 2021, Akmal said the political landscape and campaigning environment had changed considerably, particularly with the absence of Covid-19 restrictions.

He said the previous election had presented significant challenges, including restrictions on public gatherings, face-to-face engagements and requirements for physical distancing and face masks.

“This year, however, we were able to campaign as usual, with an extraordinary momentum in terms of public reception.

“The campaign atmosphere was also relatively calmer when we went down to meet the people,” he mentioned.

The Umno Youth Chief added that voters would ultimately make their decisions based on their respective preferences and assessments of the government’s performance.

“I believe everyone has their own preferences and may have made their decisions based on the government’s performance over the past year.

“However, that is not for us to determine and we will wait for the election results tonight,” he said.

On the opposition’s decision to focus on the issue involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s house arrest during the final days of campaigning, Akmal questioned whether the matter would significantly influence voters’ decisions.

“Regarding the opposition’s focus on the issue involving Datuk Seri Najib Razak during the final days of campaigning, if they believe this issue will be the main reason for their victory, I would like to remind them that it was also raised during the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections.

“We have already seen the outcomes in both states and we hope to see a similar result in Melaka tonight,” he said.

A total of 240 polling centres involving 1,213 voting channels opened at 8am today, with 687,697 registered voters eligible to elect representatives across Melaka’s 28 state constituencies.

A total of 79 candidates are contesting in the election, with a coalition requiring at least 15 seats to secure a simple majority and form the state government.

In the previous state election in 2021, BN secured 21 seats, while Pakatan Harapan (PH) won five and Perikatan Nasional (PN) obtained two.