KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition led by Umno has won 18 of the 28 seats in the Melaka state polls on Saturday (Nov 20), according to unofficial results cited by local media.

Rival pact Pakatan Harapan has so far won four seats, according to the unofficial tally, and Perikatan Nasional has not won any seats.

Official results are expected to be announced after 10pm.

Once confirmed, BN will be able to form the next state government in Melaka, the second-smallest state in Malaysia after Perlis.

To control the Melaka state legislature, a party or coalition must secure a minimum of 15 seats.

The state election is closely watched as Melaka has a racial composition and urban-rural split similar to the national averages, potentially making Saturday’s polls a bellwether for the next general election.

The general election is not due until 2023 but is expected to take place in the latter half of next year.

PH won power in Melaka for the first time in 2018, mirroring its unexpected victory at the federal level. But the PH state government collapsed due to defections early last year, just as its federal counterpart was ousted for similar reasons.

Another round of defections last month saw the BN-led state government, which replaced the PH one, also lose its majority, leading to the dissolution of the legislative assembly.

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