The failure to secure sufficient Malay voter support was a key factor behind Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) defeat in the Melaka state election, contributing to the loss of its chief ministerial candidate, Universiti Malaya senior lecturer in political science, public administration and development studies Dr Mohammad Tawfik Yaakub said.
He said the results indicate a significant shift in Melaka’s political landscape, with the cooperation between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) successfully translating into votes despite the two coalitions having previously been political rivals.
The victory in 24 of the 28 seats contested by the BN-PN alliance indicated that a substantial portion of voters had accepted the political cooperation, he said.
