KUALA LUMPUR: MCA has secured a third seat to contest in the Melaka state election after Perikatan Nasional (PN) agreed to give up the Bandar Hilir constituency following last-minute negotiations with Barisan Nasional (BN).
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said the decision was finalised today following discussions between BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and PN leaders, reducing PN’s allocation from seven seats to six.
The breakthrough comes after MCA publicly expressed dissatisfaction with its initial allocation of just two seats, with Wee previously walking out of a BN meeting in Melaka in protest.
Speaking at a press conference in Parliament today, Wee said Ahmad Zahid had officially informed MCA of the additional seat, which has a Chinese-majority electorate.
“Following the final discussions between BN and PN, MCA has been given one additional seat to contest in Bandar Hilir.
“This means PN will contest only six seats, while MCA will contest Bandar Hilir. I believe PN has also agreed to this arrangement,” he said.
Wee announced that MCA would field 38-year-old Jasmine Lok Hoi Yi, a Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman graduate in public relations and a Melaka City Council councillor, in the constituency.
He said Ahmad Zahid had presented Lok with her appointment letter at about 4pm today, completing the party’s candidate selection process ahead of nomination day on Saturday.
Lok was chosen partly because of her experience serving the constituency, which Wee described as one of MCA’s traditional seats.
With the additional allocation, MCA will contest three constituencies — Machap Jaya, Klebang and Bandar Hilir.
Wee said the latest arrangement had received the agreement of PN’s leadership, adding that senior PN figures had personally contacted him to express their willingness to allow MCA to contest Bandar Hilir.
“There is no issue. I have received calls from senior PN leaders who expressed their willingness to let MCA contest the seat because we had contested there previously.
“We are familiar with the constituency and already have a councillor serving the area,” he said.
Wee said MCA expected to face a Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate in Bandar Hilir and would mobilise its machinery to secure victory.
The additional seat marks a turnaround for MCA following tensions within BN over the distribution of constituencies for the state election.
Wee had earlier objected to MCA’s allocation being reduced from seven seats to two, arguing that the party had not been properly consulted on the arrangement.
The dispute emerged amid negotiations between BN and PN over their electoral cooperation, with both coalitions seeking to avoid overlapping contests against PH.
Wee subsequently held discussions with BN leaders, including Ahmad Zahid, as efforts continued to resolve the disagreement before nomination day.
He thanked both BN and PN leaders for agreeing to the revised allocation and pledged that MCA would work closely with its electoral partners.
