Amanah President Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu expressed firm confidence on October 31, 2026, that Pakatan Harapan’s Adly Zahari will successfully defend the Bukit Katil state constituency in the upcoming 16th Melaka State Election, scheduled for November 14, 2026.
Mohamad, who is also Malaysia’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, accompanied Adly to the nomination centre at Dewan Tun Ali, arriving at approximately 8.40 am. Also present was Amanah Women’s Wing Chief Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu, who serves concurrently as Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government.
Speaking to reporters at the nomination centre, Mohamad cited the strong public reception toward Adly — who chairs Melaka’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) — as the basis for his confidence.
“As of 9.32 am today, everything is proceeding smoothly. There is a large turnout of Barisan Nasional supporters, and since PAS is also contesting two seats in Melaka, many of their supporters are present here as well,” Mohamad said.
“However, in terms of public reception, we are confident that Adly will be re-elected by the constituents. That is our hope,” he added.
Adly Enters Four-Cornered Contest After Winning Bukit Katil in 2021 with 1,057-Vote Majority
Adly Zahari is defending the Bukit Katil seat against three challengers: Perikatan Nasional’s Ridzuan Sarif, Parti Bersama’s Dr Aliza Che Amran, and independent candidate Abu Bakar Sabudin.
In the 15th Melaka State Election, Adly secured the Bukit Katil seat with a majority of 1,057 votes, defeating Datuk Hasnoor Sdg Husin of Barisan Nasional, Muhammad Al Afiz Yahya of Perikatan Nasional, and an independent candidate named Abdul Hamid. The current four-cornered contest represents a similarly competitive field.
Pakatan Harapan’s broader target for the November 14 election is to win 18 seats while defending the five it currently holds.
PH-BN Shared Government Creates Messaging Challenge on the Campaign Trail
Mohamad acknowledged a notable strategic complication facing both PH and BN as they campaign against each other despite being federal coalition partners in Putrajaya.
“The public is somewhat confused because both BN and PH are in the government. So, when BN highlights an achievement, it is an achievement of the government. Likewise, when we highlight an achievement, it is also an achievement of the government,” he said.
“It is up to the voters to weigh this for themselves. We will strive to provide clarification. But as I mentioned earlier, a certain level of confusion among the public will likely persist,” Mohamad added.
The Amanah president said PH’s campaign would focus specifically on the constituencies it is contesting, rather than adopting a broader statewide messaging approach.
Election Timeline: Polling Day Set for November 14, Early Voting on November 10
The Election Commission has set November 14, 2026, as polling day for the 16th Melaka State Election, with early voting scheduled for November 10, 2026.
The election landscape in Melaka features a complex web of alliances, with BN and Perikatan Nasional cooperating on seat-sharing arrangements, while PH contests independently across 18 constituencies. MCA, as part of the BN-PN alignment, is fielding a candidate in Kota Laksamana after Perikatan returned that seat to them in a late-stage seat-sharing revision.
For live updates and official results on the 16th Melaka State Election, the Election Commission’s dedicated portal is available at https://election.bernama.com/prn/melaka/2026/.
Source: Bernama
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