Barisan Nasional (BN) intends to defend all 21 state seats it currently holds in Melaka in the upcoming 16th state election, Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, who is also Melaka BN chairman, confirmed [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Melaka has a total of 28 state seats, meaning BN controls 21 out of 28 constituencies [2, 7].
BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister and Rural and Regional Development Minister, reiterated the commitment. He said, "Of the 21 seats won by BN in Melaka, the chief minister informed me that he is determined to defend all 21 seats" [3]. Zahid also stated, "We have made it clear that the seats we won will not be shared with any party" [3].
While BN is firm on retaining all its current seats, Zahid acknowledged the party remains open to sincere negotiations with other political parties ahead of the election. "There will certainly be discussions among all parties. As the Melaka chief minister has said, he is very open to them," Zahid said [1]. He added, "It depends on their sincerity and honesty in any negotiations that may take place" [3]. Any final decisions on alliances or cooperation will be made in consultation with BN's federal leadership [1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
Zahid expressed optimism about BN's electoral momentum. "Starting from Johor spreading to Negeri Sembilan and, God willing, to Melaka, we will see how the country's political landscape develops ahead of the 16th General Election," he said [7]. He called this a "blue wave" of voter support that BN hopes to maintain and expand across Peninsular Malaysia [3, 4, 6, 7].
BN aims to gain support from all Malaysians, including those who may shift their political preferences before the 16th General Election [3, 4, 6, 7]. Regarding cooperation with Perikatan Nasional, Zahid emphasized that any partnership depends on sincerity and will not involve sharing the seats BN currently holds [3, 4, 6, 7].
The latest declaration came after Zahid's announcement on August 6, following the ministry's monthly assembly, where he stated BN's plan to defend the 21 seats and openness to discussions on political cooperation [1, 3, 5, 7]. The state election date has not been set, but BN's position is clear as Melaka prepares for the poll.
