PERIKATAN Nasional (PN) and Barisan Nasional (BN) contesting against each other proves that Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob does not have the authority to determine the pathway for his coalition government, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang said.

“The Malacca state elections will influence the Malaysian political scenario but Ismail Sabri seems totally lost on what to do for the state polls,” he said during the launch of his book in Ayer Keroh, Malacca, today.

“No one can predict what is going to happen in the Malacca polls as Malaysian politics is not stable at the moment.”

Bersatu and Umno are set to contest against each other in 12 seats in the elections.

The biggest fight involves Bersatu Wanita chief and Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin and Malacca Umno chief Ab Rauf Yusoh in Tg Bidara. PKR’s Zainal Hassan will also be contesting here.

Mas Ermieyati, the former Puteri Umno chief and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, defected to Bersatu in 2018. She is also widely speculated to be PN’s candidate for chief minister.

Bersatu’s ally PAS, meanwhile, will be fighting against its Muafakat Nasional partner, Umno, in seven seats.

Umno, Bersatu and PAS are allies at the federal level, where the government is headed by Umno vice-president Ismail.

Malacca will go to the polls on November 20, with nomination day set for tomorrow.

The Malacca polls were called after four assemblymen – former chief minister Idris Haron (Sg Udang-BN), Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundor-BN), Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas-PN) and Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Pengkalan Batu-Ind) – withdrew their support for Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali.

DAP has resolutely refused to allow Norhizam to become a Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate in the state elections.

However, PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim defended the four assemblymen and yesterday announced that Idris has become a PKR member and will contest the Asahan seat while Nor Azman will defend his Pantai Kundor seat as a member of Amanah. – November 7, 2021.