Credit : Facebook/ts.muhyiddin (via Malay Mail)
MELAKA, November 7, 2026 – Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has acknowledged that unresolved tensions with PAS within Perikatan Nasional (PN) prompted his party to contest the 16th Melaka State Election under its own logo.
“We have been facing problems with PAS within PN, and these issues have yet to be resolved,” the former prime minister was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia after campaigning in Bachang.
“That is why we decided to field our candidates in seven constituencies using this logo,” he said.
Bersatu is fielding seven candidates under its own banner, while PN is contesting five seats, including two allocated to PAS.
Voter confusion
Muhyiddin said some voters remained confused about the distinction between Bersatu and PN, prompting him to instruct party leaders to clarify Bersatu’s position during the campaign.
“Some people are still confused about Bersatu and PN. So, in Melaka, we are contesting under the Bersatu symbol,” he said.
Despite the tensions, Muhyiddin expressed confidence that Bersatu could win all seven seats it is contesting, citing what he described as an encouraging response from voters in the constituencies he had visited.
He said the reception to Bersatu’s own logo in Melaka appeared stronger than when the party previously used it in Negeri Sembilan.
“We first used it in Negeri Sembilan. The response in Melaka appears to be even better,” he said.
“People can easily understand and identify what our party stands for, especially when they meet me,” he added.
Muhyiddin said he hoped the positive reception would translate into victories in all seven constituencies.
Where the parties meet
Based on the list of candidates published by the Election Commission (EC) on nomination day, Bersatu and PN candidates face each other in two seats, Ayer Keroh and Bemban, while Bersatu also takes on Pakatan Harapan (PH) in Kelebang, Pengkalan Batu and Ayer Keroh.
Earlier in the campaign, The Star reported that Bersatu information chief Datuk Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz said the party had yet to decide which of its top leaders would campaign in Melaka, as Muhyiddin had court commitments during the week.
Crucial weekend
Political analyst Dr Liew Wui Chern told The Star that the weekend before early voting was critical, as parties expected voters to have more time for campaign activities, with Deepavali falling on November 8.
“At this stage, parties already know roughly where they are competitive, so resources will increasingly be directed on marginal seats and voters who are not fully committed,” he said.
The contest
A total of 79 candidates are contesting all 28 seats in the Melaka State Legislative Assembly, with no candidate returned unopposed. A party or coalition needs 15 seats for a simple majority.
Barisan Nasional (BN) and PN are cooperating under what BN describes as the Muafakat Melaka spirit and are not facing each other in any seat, while PH is fielding 24 candidates and Bersama, led by Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, is fielding 16.
In the previous state election in 2021, BN won 21 seats, PH won five and PN took two.
According to the EC, 687,697 voters are eligible to cast their ballots. The Election Commission has fixed November 14, 2026, as polling day, with early voting on November 10. The official campaign period ends at 11.59pm on November 13.
Sources: Malay Mail, quoting Utusan Malaysia; The Star; Election Commission candidate list.
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