Buoyed by its latest electoral successes, Barisan Nasional (BN) Melaka has declared it is open to working with any political party under a BN Plus formula for the upcoming Melaka state election.
Melaka BN chairman Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said the coalition was willing to engage in discussions with any party, stressing that negotiations remain open despite the absence of any formal alliance.
“Anyone can come and negotiate, but negotiations do not necessarily end with an agreement. It depends on each party’s strengths,” he said.
“We are not bound by any arrangement that has yet to become a formal coalition, but I am open to anyone who wants to come and negotiate with me,” he added.
His remarks come a day after BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the successful partnership between BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN) in forming the Negeri Sembilan state government could serve as a springboard for the coalition to extend its winning momentum into the Melaka state election.
Ab Rauf also congratulated Datuk Ismail Lasim on his appointment as the new Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar, expressing confidence that the Juasseh assemblyman would deliver on the promises outlined in the coalition’s election manifesto.
Ismail secured the Juasseh seat in the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election with a 4,091-vote majority, polling 6,907 votesto defeat Pakatan Harapan’s Mohd Aidil Abdullah (2,816 votes) and Bersatu’s Mohd Zuhaimi Md Yusof (506 votes).
In the election, BN won 18 state seats, followed by Pakatan Harapan with 11 and PN with seven, paving the way for a BN-PN coalition government in Negeri Sembilan.
