Adly could lose Bukit Katil after PH’s lacklustre Melaka campaign, says Kian Ming

 The former DAP leader criticises the Melaka PH chairman for spending more time attacking the previous administration than outlining a compelling vision for the state.

Ong Kian Ming said Amanah’s Adly Zahari might lose his seat to PAS candidate Ridzuan Sarif, citing the constituency’s 68% Malay majority.

PETALING JAYA:

Former DAP leader Ong Kian Ming thinks Melaka Pakatan Harapan chairman Adly Zahari may lose his Bukit Katil seat following the coalition’s “lacklustre” election campaign.

In a Facebook post today, Ong said the fortnight of campaigning by PH and Barisan Nasional had not changed his belief that BN would dominate tomorrow’s election.

He criticised PH for its “weak two-page manifesto”, and Adly for spending “more time attacking the incumbent state government than outlining a compelling vision for how he would govern Melaka more closely with his PH allies”.

Ong predicted that Adly, who is an Amanah vice-president and former chief minister, would lose Bukit Katil, where 68% of voters are Malays, to PAS candidate Ridzuan Sarif.

He said that while electoral allies BN and Perikatan Nasional had not run a “stellar campaign” either with their traditional promises of free water and social welfare, BN had the “power of incumbency”, as well as a larger-than-life figure in former chief minister Ab Rauf Yusoh, and a compelling narrative of Malay unity.

“BN started the campaign with the upper hand and has held this advantage throughout the campaign period,” he said.

Ong also warned that a BN-PN victory in the state election would put more pressure on the unity government and further strengthen cooperation between the two coalitions.

“A resounding win will show that the impact of Loke Siew Fook’s resignation (as transport minister) and Najib Razak’s house arrest on the Melaka electorate is negligible, thereby forcing PH to resort to other tactics to weaken BN and PN.

“This will set the stage for a very interesting 2027,” he said.

Ong also said he was paying attention to whether Umno’s Merlimau incumbent, Dr Akmal Saleh, could increase his winning majority from 3,428 votes in the 2021 state election.

“If Akmal is successful in doing this, he will show that despite his public image as a Malay firebrand, he is able to win the support not just of the Malays but also of the non-Malays on the ground,” he said. - FMT