09-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
We're just emulating you, Umno man tells DAP over Melaka seats
Umno Youth secretary Hafiz Ariffin suggested that BN assemblymen in Melaka issue a joint statement stating that they would not give up their seats. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA : An Umno leader has fired back at DAP over a grassroots proposal for Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional to contest 14 seats each in the upcoming Melaka state election.
Umno Youth secretary Hafiz Ariffin said his party was only emulating DAP MPs in Kuala Lumpur, who last year refused to give in to BN's call to be allocated several parliamentary seats in the city.
'For any DAP leader who wants BN's seats in Melaka, take a look in the mirror. Don't accuse others of being arrogant.
'This is what you showed us. We're just defending what's ours, just like what you did,' he said in a Facebook post.
Hafiz also cynically suggested that BN assemblymen in Melaka issue a joint statement stating that they would not give up their seats.
He was referring to a Malaysiakini report in November quoting DAP's Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai and Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun as saying BN should not gun for seats that DAP had already won.
Fong, a seven-term MP, said DAP would not allow BN to contest for seats his party held even if it would hamper ties between the unity government allies.
They were responding to BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's hope that the coalition could expand its presence in the federal territories by contesting five parliamentary seats in the next general election.
Perikatan Nasional won the Labuan and Putrajaya seats in the 2022 general election, while Umno vice-president Johari Ghani won BN's sole FT seat in Titiwangsa. The other 10 FT seats, located in Kuala Lumpur, have been held by PKR and DAP for multiple terms now.
Yesterday, Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh rejected a proposal from nine Melaka DAP branches for PH and BN to contest 14 seats each in the upcoming state election, telling DAP to 'dream on'.
Melaka Amanah chief Ashraf Mukhlis Minghat urged BN to keep an open heart and mind when holding seat talks instead of responding arrogantly to the grassroots proposal.
