The picture for the Melaka state election is coming into focus. Bernama reports that Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has said that MCA will contest the election, which appears to settle the dispute that arose last week over the announcement of BN candidates without MCA's approval. A second report quotes Fuziah Salleh as saying that young PKR candidates will bring fresh ideas and a new approach. I have only seen the headlines, so I do not know which seats MCA will contest or who the young PKR candidates are.
The MCA announcement follows days of tension. MCA president Wee Ka Siong had said that the party would not recognise candidates announced without its approval, and Zahid had said the matter would be resolved collectively before nomination day on 31 October. A statement that MCA will contest indicates that the coalition has reached an understanding, though the details of the seat allocation will become clear at nomination.
PKR's emphasis on young candidates fits a pattern across parties, which are trying to appeal to younger voters in the wake of Undi18 and automatic voter registration. The party has framed the candidates as a source of new ideas, though voters will judge them on their records and their plans. BN has also said that it will announce candidates together with PAS and strategic partners, so the contest may look different from earlier elections.
For voters, the most important step is to wait for the Election Commission's official list after nomination, then read the manifestos and consider which candidates are best placed to deal with local issues such as the cost of living, jobs, tourism and flooding. Parties have also been urged by the Prime Minister and the Sultan of Selangor to avoid the politics of hatred. Watch for the nomination day events, the start of the campaign period and the polling date.
