MELAKA: Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has rejected any prospect of working with DAP in the Melaka state election, saying he will not contest if Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan forge an electoral partnership.
The Merlimau assemblyman said he was willing to forgo defending the seat he currently holds to remain true to his political principles.
"I reiterate my stand that if Barisan and Pakatan cooperate in the Melaka polls, I will not contest.
“I would rather defend my principles than hold on to my position as an elected representative,” he said when contacted on Tuesday (Aug 18).
He was responding to the latest developments suggesting that Barisan and Pakatan could hold talks on possible cooperation in the coming state election.
Earlier on Tuesday (Aug 18), Pakatan secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was reported as saying that he had not ruled out meeting Melaka Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh to discuss the matter during an event in Putrajaya.
The PKR vice-president, who is currently performing the duties of the party’s deputy president, said a meeting could be held after Ab Rauf returned from a working visit to New Zealand.
The possibility of an electoral understanding arose after Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Aug 8 that the coalition remained open to negotiating seat allocations for the Melaka polls.
Ahmad Zahid said the discussions could include possible seat swaps, provided they were conducted honestly and in good faith.
He added that any negotiations must respect the fundamental principle that seats won by a party should remain with that party and not simply be handed to its political partners.
In response, Pakatan communications director Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil welcomed Barisan’s willingness to negotiate, saying such openness would serve Melaka’s future and political stability, as well as the country’s interests. - Star
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