PETALING JAYA: MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong has pushed back against Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s claim of progress in resolving their dispute over seat allocations for the Melaka state election, saying both sides remain some distance from reaching an agreement.
Wee said it was premature to describe the negotiations as positive, stressing that MCA had yet to decide on its next course of action ahead of the Nov 14 state election.
“As for Zahid’s description of the outcome as ‘positive’, I believe we are still some distance from achieving that objective. It would be premature to describe the outcome as positive at this stage.
“Both sides need to continue their discussions, and I hope we can make a breakthrough within the next day or two,” he said in a Facebook post.
His remarks came hours after Zahid dismissed speculation that MCA could withdraw from the election, saying discussions between the coalition’s leaders had produced positive results.
Wee confirmed that BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh had met him and another MCA leader at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur late last night.
The meeting, arranged at Zahid’s instruction, began at about 11pm and ended at around 1am today.
Although Wee described the discussions as cordial and free of confrontation, he maintained that MCA had clearly expressed its dissatisfaction with the proposed seat allocations.
He said the party remained committed to resolving disagreements through dialogue rather than confrontation.
However, Wee stressed that any decision on MCA’s participation in the election would be made collectively by its central leadership, indicating that the party’s position remained unresolved.
The dispute erupted on Saturday when Wee led MCA leaders in a walkout during BN’s candidate announcement at the Melaka International Trade Centre.
MCA protested against what it described as unilateral decisions to reduce its allocation from seven seats in the previous state election to just two, with constituencies previously contested by the party reassigned without proper consultation.
Earlier today, Zahid said there was no question of MCA withdrawing from the contest and that he had entrusted Ab Rauf with announcing the outcome of the negotiations.
BN has announced plans to contest 21 of Melaka’s 28 state seats, leaving seven for PAS and its strategic allies.
