As is the case in any contest, the Melaka state elections had its fair share of winners and losers, with the most obvious winner being BN. On the losing end, Perikatan Nasional (PN), as many observers expected, lost in almost all seats.
But the biggest surprise was the heavy defeat suffered by Pakatan Harapan (PH), which less than three years ago took over the state administration after winning the 14th general election.
FMT takes a look at the other winners and losers from last night’s polls.
Winners: Tok Mat, Najib
Leading the BN’s charge in Melaka was BN deputy chairman Mohamad Hasan, commonly known as Tok Mat, and former prime minister Najib Razak.
Mohamad made the bold move to field 86% new faces and it paid off handsomely. Not only did the candidates deliver, but it also sent a message that Umno is open to change.
On the campaign trail, Najib drew crowds wherever he went and made the most of his social media presence. Attacks against him over his 2018 application for a property former prime ministers are entitled to, failed to sway voters from backing BN.
Losers: PAS
It was only a matter of time that PAS had to choose between their warring allies and they chose Bersatu. The Islamist party’s failure to win any seat was not unexpected. It didn’t win anything in GE14 either.
Traditionally, Melaka is not a PAS stronghold, though the fact remains that it chose to back the wrong horse in this race. Its decision to forgo the use of its logo may have contributed to its losses and the PAS-led Kedah government’s move to ban 4D outlets in the northern state certainly did not help win the hearts of non-Muslim voters.
The party will now have to face tough questions over where it goes from here as far as its ties with Umno are concerned, especially with a general election looming.
Winners: Rauf and Sulaiman
Critics of Melaka Umno chief Ab Rauf Yusoh and chief minister Sulaiman Md Ali accused them of being the reason why four former assemblymen defected, triggering the collapse of the state government in October.
Rauf was accused of being the “puppet master” behind Sulaiman’s administration, a claim they denied. Both men won convincingly and Sulaiman has already been sworn in as chief minister for the second time.
The election has only boosted their credentials in Umno, especially since BN has regained its two-thirds majority in Melaka.
Losers: Political frogs
A number of defectors contested in this election, including ex-Umno assemblymen Idris Haron and Nor Azman Hassan. Ex-DAP representative Norhizam Hassan Baktee also contested as an independent while PN’s chief minister-designate Mas Ermieyati Samsudin famously left Umno in 2018.
All of them lost. The only defector to retain his seat is Rembia assemblyman Muhammad Jailani Khamis.
Winners: Bersatu newbies
Two Bersatu newbies made their mark in the polls, scoring upsets against PH and BN candidates.
In Bemban, Mohd Yadzil Yaakub came out tops in a five-cornered race that included Melaka DAP chief Tey Kok Kiew. Perhaps the bigger surprise was in Umno’s stronghold of Sungai Udang where Mohd Aleef Yusof won a four-way battle.
Losers: PKR and Amanah
PKR and Amanah contested a combined 20 seats and ended up winning just one, former chief minister Adly Zahari’s Bukit Katil seat. Not only that, their gamble in fielding defectors Idris and Nor Azman — for which both parties were heavily criticised — didn’t pay off.
But more worryingly, the Melaka elections appear to confirm PH’s Achilles heel, the inability to garner Malay votes.
If PKR and Amanah cannot deliver Malay support for the coalition, who can?
Winners: Voters (hopefully)
PH supporters and Melakans, fed up with political games, can perhaps take some comfort in BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s vow that the new government will push for reforms, including an anti-party hopping law in the Melaka state assembly.
Other reforms he said BN will push for is a provision for a constructive vote of confidence and fair allocations for all elected representatives, all with the aim of ensuring political stability.
If this becomes a reality, it could set the tone for what Malaysian politics could look like in the future.
Losers: PN-friendly Umno leaders
A number of Umno leaders, particularly Cabinet members who had backed former PM Muhyiddin Yassin, have been quiet of late and party insiders have been complaining about these leaders not spending enough time campaigning for BN in Melaka.
The election results indicate that the grassroots are happy with the current leadership and how it is commandeering Umno in navigating the political landscape.
It also pours cold water on claims that Umno cannot go it alone and must work with Bersatu and PAS.