UMNO’s Supreme Council will convene on August 28 to discuss its political direction and whether to cooperate with other parties or run solo in the upcoming Melaka state election [1, 2, 3]. The meeting, chaired by UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, will also focus on strategies to secure Barisan Nasional’s (BN) victory in the state polls [1, 2, 3].
No final decision has been made on forming alliances with Pakatan Harapan (PH), Perikatan Nasional (PN), or contesting alone [1, 2, 3]. Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan said, "As far as I know, no final decision has been made on BN or Umno’s political direction in Melaka, including whether to cooperate with any party" [1]. He added that discussions in the media and among UMNO’s Melaka leaders have covered possible cooperation between BN and PH as well as BN and PN [1]. Maslan emphasized, "The political approach adopted by BN must take into account the situation and suitability in each state" [1].
BN currently holds 21 of the 28 seats in Melaka’s State Legislative Assembly, with PH and PN holding 5 and 2 seats respectively from the 15th state election [1, 2, 3]. The current Melaka state executive council includes assemblymen from PH, reflecting its place in the federal unity government [1, 2, 3].
The mandate of the Melaka state government is set to expire on December 31, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. The August 28 UMNO meeting will shape preparations for the next state election before the end of the year.
