Melaka DAP Youth chief Cassel Krishnan said if Akmal is unable to do so, he should refrain from relying on Pakatan Harapan’s  election machinery during upcoming campaigns.

“If Akmal accepts the unity government principles with sincerity, there is no problem contesting together with an equal number of seats.

“But if he is uncomfortable with the unity government’s formula, it is better to speak up now,” he said in a statement today.

Cassel was responding to Akmal’s earlier hesitation over a grassroots proposal from nine DAP branches in Melaka for PH to contest an equal number of seats as its unity government allies in future state elections.

He said the grassroots proposal was legitimate and should not be taken lightly, highlighting DAP’s past sacrifices, such as giving up the Dusun Tua seat in 2023 to show commitment to upholding the unity government.

Cassel criticised Akmal for resisting equal seat allocations for BN and PH, questioning his possible fears over DAP contesting in Merlimau, a seat which he has held since 2021.

He urged the Umno leader to reflect on his effectiveness as an assemblyman and warned that sidelining local responsibilities for political posturing could harm public trust and multiracial unity.

Earlier, Akmal had said Melaka Barisan Nasional would never give up some of the seats it won in the last state election to DAP.

Referring to a report in a Chinese-language newspaper titled “Nine Melaka DAP branches approve 14BN+14PH strategy in upcoming Melaka state elections”, Akmal said the party can “continue dreaming”.

He cited the example of negotiations in the last six state elections where PH had “extreme difficulty” in giving up the seats it won to BN.