He said BN must do an in-depth study on the statistics, especially in terms of the 65% voters who went to the polls yesterday, before making any decisions.

“The question is whether this (landslide victory in Melaka) means BN will be able to go solo in the next GE. I think the party has proven something, that BN is still strong at the grassroots level.

“But we have to accept the fact that only 65% went to the polls and 35% did not go. We have to think about whether Melaka is an accurate representation of the (next) general election,” he told reporters here at a health ministry event.

Khairy congratulated the BN party machinery led by Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan as well as Melaka Umno chief Ab Rauf Yusoh and chief minister Sulaiman Md Ali, for winning 21 state assembly seats in the polls yesterday.

“Overall, the compliance with SOPs, although there were some cases, was acceptable. So far, all parties managed to adapt to the new campaigning style. This will be a model for the Sarawak state election later,” said Khairy, who is health minister in the federal government.