Melaka: The Melaka State Government will not be appointing new officials to fill the vacancies left by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) representatives following their decision to exit the state Cabinet, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh announced.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Chief Minister Ab Rauf stated that all positions previously held by PH representatives, which included roles such as state executive council (Exco) members, local authority councillors, and Village Development and Security Committee (JPKK) members, have been automatically vacated and will remain unfilled due to the limited time remaining in the current term of the state government.
He elaborated on the matter while speaking to reporters at the Hari Exco Bersama Rakyat (HEBAT) programme in Merlimau. Ab Rauf expressed that the state government respects the decision of Melaka PH to withdraw and aims to avoid turning the issue into a conflict or a series of personal attacks. He emphasized the importance of maintaining professionalism and public acceptability in expressing differing opinions.
Ab Rauf reflected on the nearly three years of cooperation between the state administration and PH, acknowledging the effective functioning during this period. However, he noted that political differences had prompted PH to pursue its separate course.
The Chief Minister also addressed the potential for collaboration between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN), similar to political developments in Negeri Sembilan. While he has not observed such an arrangement in Melaka, he did not dismiss the possibility of improved relations between the two parties in the state.
The statement from Melaka PH regarding their withdrawal cited their unanimous decision after rejecting proposed amendments to the Melaka State Constitution Enactment, which aimed to introduce appointed state assembly seats. This decision was confirmed in a meeting with the coalition's leadership and state assembly members, as stated by Melaka PH chairman Adly Zahari and his colleagues.