PETALING JAYA: Dr Akmal Saleh may be plotting to contest the Jasin parliamentary seat in the next general election (GE16), analysts say, after the Umno Youth chief hinted at not defending his Merlimau state seat in the upcoming Melaka polls.
Syaza Shukri of the International Islamic University Malaysia said contesting in the state seats of Sungai Rambai or Serkam would allow Akmal to broaden his support base across Jasin, potentially strengthening his prospects for a parliamentary bid in GE16.
Merlimau, Serkam, Sungai Rambai, Rim and Bemban are all state seats within the Jasin federal constituency.
Syaza said it was common practice for leaders of national prominence like Akmal to transition from state to parliamentary level.
"If he wins with a strong majority, Akmal and Umno could ask for Jasin since PAS only won the parliamentary seat with a slim 322-vote majority in the 2022 general election," she told FMT.
However, Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia cautioned that such a move could complicate relations between Umno and PAS, amid speculation that the two parties were exploring electoral cooperation ahead of GE16.
"Jasin is now a PAS seat, but at the same time, Umno will be looking to regain parliamentary seats in Melaka, which aren't many in the first place.
"If Umno insists on contesting Jasin, it could cause some issues in its relationship with PAS," he said.
Akmal has been one of the strongest proponents of an Umno-PAS alliance, promoting it as a vehicle for Malay political unity. He has even threatened to sit out the state polls if Barisan Nasional chooses to work with Pakatan Harapan.
On Wednesday, the Melaka executive councillor hinted at leaving Merlimau to contest another seat in the upcoming state polls, suggesting that he may run in Serkam or Sungai Rambai.
The Star later quoted sources as saying BN had agreed to make way for PAS in Merlimau, with the Islamic party to field the head of its Melaka chapter, Zulkifli Ismail.
Sungai Rambai and Serkam are Umno strongholds that have never left the party’s grasp, although BN retained the latter with a very slim majority in 2021.
BN won Serkam in a four-cornered race, beating the Perikatan Nasional candidate by 79 votes, with PH and independent candidates left trailing far behind.
Akmal was elected Merlimau assemblyman in 2021 with a majority of 3,248 votes.
Melaka goes to the polls on Nov 14, with nomination day scheduled for Oct 31.