Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidates contesting the Melaka state election have been warned not to become overconfident or assume they have an advantage simply because they belong to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s political bloc.
PKR Melaka acting state leadership council chairman Adam Adli Abd Halim said the party wanted to approach the election with humility, even positioning itself as an underdog to strengthen the democratic process in the state.
However, Adam Adli, who is also PKR communications director and Deputy Higher Education Minister, acknowledged that being part of the Prime Minister’s party brought its own pressure to win seats in Melaka.
“The pressure is always there. But we turn that pressure into a challenge. If we think long-term, our strategy and approach in this election could help us prepare for the next general election.
“Others may say this is the Prime Minister’s party, a party with many ministers and one that controls the federal administration. But we are not approaching the election that way.
“Just because PH has a Prime Minister and is now in government, we should not think we are different. We are still the same. We must remain alert and never become arrogant,” he said during the Bicara PRN Melaka Ke-16 podcast.
PH, led by PKR, is fielding 24 candidates in the 16th Melaka state election. PKR is contesting 10 seats, while its coalition partners DAP and Amanah are each fielding seven candidates.
Adam Adli said the party was also wary of excessive confidence among its candidates, warning that it could lead to carelessness during the campaign.
Although some projections suggest voter demographics may not favour PH, he believes voting patterns in Melaka cannot be determined solely through theoretical predictions.
“We are giving our best effort. At the moment, we can see some light at the end of the tunnel, with potential in several constituencies we are contesting.
“But we must avoid mistakes and double our efforts. Even if PH fails to reach its target, that does not necessarily mean the work has been wasted, because what we do in this state election must continue into the next general election,” he said.
He added that despite being part of the Unity Government, PH remained realistic by contesting only 24 of Melaka’s 28 seats, based on the actual strength of its election machinery.
“People look at PH as though we are already wealthy, when our strength remains much the same as before. Perhaps more people support us now, but that does not mean we can do anything we want.
“For example, we cannot simply decide to contest all 28 seats without thinking. We must properly assess our capabilities before making such decisions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Adam Adli acknowledged that the entry of BERSAMA, led by Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, into the Melaka election could have some impact on PH.
BERSAMA is contesting 16 seats, but Adam Adli described the effect as a minor disruption rather than a major setback.
He said PKR would not underestimate BERSAMA’s capabilities, but remained confident that PH was still a significant force in the state.
“There is an impact, of course there is. We will not underestimate them, but let us just say PH remains significant. We may feel a little affected, but not to the extent of being hit hard,” he said.
