MELAKA – Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) are in it together to reclaim the state, but are only contesting under different banners to determine who gets the coveted chief minister’s post, according to DAP.
Party national organising secretary Anthony Loke said this is a strong reason for voters in the state to reject both coalitions and potentially avoid a repeat of the political struggle that led to the current state polls.
He warned that if the BN-PN partnership was to retake Melaka, the state government would be rocked by serious instability throughout its tenure in power.
“Although three main coalitions are contesting, there are really only two choices; us (Pakatan Harapan) or them,” he said during a talk show aired live on DAP’s Facebook page last night.
“They are already sitting together in Putrajaya. They are contesting against each other now just to determine who becomes the chief minister. They want one-upmanship.
“If BN has more seats, they can claim the chief ministership. If PN has more, then they can claim. But it will all go back to square one.”
Loke said that the scrambling and jostling for power would definitely continue if PH is not given the mandate to helm Melaka, with parties within BN and PN trying to topple one another for the top post.
“So if you want a stable political situation, the only option is PH. If PH wins 15 seats, there is no need to negotiate with other parties.
“In PH, our consensus is quite clear. Our chief minister candidate is Adly Zahari. Be it DAP, PKR, or Amanah, we all support him. There is no question of trying to bring down the government mid-term,” he said.
Loke was asked to comment on BN deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan’s statement earlier today that the coalition is ready to form a state government with PN after polling ends.
Mohamad had told a press conference that BN is open to the idea of a unity government but said there needs to be a party that will serve as a backbone of the state administration.
The coming November 20 polls is set to see at least a three-cornered fight in all 28 constituencies, with BN, PN, and PH fielding candidates for all the seats.
The state election was triggered after four government assemblymen withdrew support for chief minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali last month, citing a loss of confidence in his leadership.
Two of the four reps, namely Datuk Seri Idris Haron and Datuk Nor Azman Hassan, are now contesting under the PH ticket in the Asahan and Pantai Kundor seats respectively. – The Vibes, November 11, 2021
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