Pakatan Harapan (PH) has yet to hold any formal discussions with any party on preparations for the upcoming Melaka state election, although informal engagements with several political leaders are expected to take place in the coming days, PH election director Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said .
He also added that he would meet several leaders informally within the next day or two to gauge their views and direction ahead of the state polls.
He stressed that no formal meeting, including with Barisan Nasional (BN), had taken place so far.
“BN has not yet (met with us), but I will meet several leaders informally in the coming days to understand the direction going forward and how we can act as a team,” Amirudin said.
He said the outcome of the informal discussions would subsequently be reported to the PH leadership in his capacity as the coalition’s election director.
Amirudin said PH remained open to hearing views from various political leaders, including Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh and UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh.
He noted, however, that Ab Rauf’s position as Melaka Chief Minister placed him in a more senior position than Akmal in discussions concerning the state.
“We listen to the views of the Melaka Chief Minister and the UMNO Youth chief. I think the Melaka Chief Minister holds a bigger position than Akmal,” he said.
The comments come as political parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the next Melaka state election, with potential cooperation and electoral strategies expected to become more prominent as the polls draw closer.
For PH, any future discussions with BN or other political groupings could have implications for the coalition’s electoral strategy, including possible seat arrangements and efforts to avoid multi-cornered contests.
