UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has declared that he will not contest in the upcoming Melaka state election if Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) decide to cooperate.
He said the decision was based on his commitment to his political principles, which he considered more important than holding a position as a state assemblyman.
“People say UMNO is two-faced. They say UMNO betrays its friends, yet UMNO is still the one they turn to.
“I repeat my position, as I said on the KS podcast, that if BN and PH work together in Melaka, I will not contest because I would rather defend my principles than hold a position as a state representative,” he said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
Akmal was responding to a statement by PH secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who said the coalition was open to discussing cooperation with BN ahead of the Melaka state election.
According to the report, Saifuddin said the matter could be discussed after Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh returns to the country on Wednesday.
Despite his stance against a BN-PH collaboration in Melaka, Akmal expressed confidence that BN could retain its dominance in the state without the cooperation.
“Insya-Allah, we will turn Melaka blue, just like Johor and Negeri Sembilan,” he said.
His remarks add to the growing political discussion over potential cooperation between BN and PH ahead of the next Melaka state election, particularly as parties weigh their respective strategies and seat arrangements.
