Awang Azman Awang Pawi of Universiti Malaya said Umno should contest Malay-majority seats, while PH should be given mixed or urban areas.

“Seat allocations should be based on data from past victories, not political dominance or emotions,” he told FMT.

For example, Awang Azman said, Umno should contest seats previously won by Perikatan Nasional parties, where Umno finished ahead of PKR.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s political aide, Shamsul Iskandar Akin, had recently called for fairness in deciding seat allocations between PH and BN for the state election in Melaka, due next year.

He said no party should seek to contest beyond its fair share. “You cannot say that because of unity, you want to contest 26 out of (all) 28 seats. The underlying rule is always fairness,” he told FMT.

However, Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh said Shamsul should not overthink the matter. He said any seat negotiations for the Melaka election will only involve two seats held by Perikatan Nasional.

“If there’s no agreement, then we (will both) contest,” Akmal said; the party that wins the most seats would form the government and decide the chief minister.

In the 2021 Melaka state election, BN secured 21 seats, PH five, and PN two. The present chief minister is Umno’s Ab Rauf Yusoh.

The need to be consistent

Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said Akmal’s remarks should not be taken as Umno’s official stance, and the matter should be deliberated further at the state level.

“The underlying rule is that the ruling parties safeguard the seats they hold. Umno has the right to defend its seats, but it cannot claim to contest 26 out of 28 seats,” he said.

Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia said coalition stability depends on consistency and internal discussions, not public sparring.

“Negotiations should lead to a win for everyone in the end. If the formula is that each party retains the seats it previously won, it should be applied consistently both at the state and federal level,” he said.

Sivamurugan warned that applying different formulas in different states could deepen rifts in the coalition government.

“You cannot have different formulas at different levels just to satisfy certain interests. If there’s a formula, it should be a common one that fits everyone.

“Otherwise, every state government will have its own version and when that happens, everyone will start fighting for what they want,” he said.