Key facts
- Malaysia's Election Commission said 79 candidates were contesting 28 Melaka state assembly seats.
- Pakatan Harapan contested 24 seats and Barisan Nasional 23, with 15 seats needed to form a state government.
- Pakatan Harapan and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia avoided direct clashes in four constituencies, CNA reported.
- Thirteen Bersatu members of parliament signed a confidence and supply agreement on October 29 backing Anwar's government.
Malaysia's 16th Melaka state election drew 79 candidates for 28 state assembly seats, with nominations closing on Saturday, October 31, according to Lianhe Zaobao and CNA. Polling day was set for November 14, and 15 seats were needed to form a state government.
The Election Commission reported straight fights in 11 constituencies, three-way contests in 11 and four-way contests in six. Pakatan Harapan, the coalition of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, contested 24 seats, the most of any coalition, while Barisan Nasional contested 23 and Perikatan Nasional five.
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, which had split with PAS over the running of Perikatan Nasional, contested seven seats. Pakatan Harapan and Bersatu avoided direct clashes in four constituencies, which analysts cited by CNA described as informal cooperation that neither side had explicitly acknowledged.
Thirteen Bersatu members of parliament signed a confidence and supply agreement on October 29 pledging support for Anwar's government until the end of the parliamentary term. Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin said the agreement did not signal an electoral pact.
The primary report described the contest as a test of cooperation between parties governing together in Kuala Lumpur, with a national election due more than a year away.