Key facts
- Ab Rauf said Kota Laksamana would become Melaka's state capital, adding: "That is what I hope for."
- Ab Rauf said the development would mostly involve private concessionaires through private finance initiatives, with the state coordinating implementation.
- Projects he named included the Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre and new shopping facilities at Tarcor Park.
- Ab Rauf said Barisan was targeting 25 to 26 of the 28 state assembly seats after two additional seats were allocated to the coalition.
- Wee Ka Siong said Barisan candidate Melvin Chua, a three-term city councillor, had prepared 100-day pledges for Kota Laksamana.
Kota Laksamana in Melaka could be developed into the Malaysian state's new capital if the Umno-led Barisan Nasional wins the seat in the November 14 state poll, caretaker chief minister Ab Rauf Yusoh said on November 9, 2026.
"Kota Laksamana will become the state capital of Melaka. That is what I hope for," Ab Rauf said during a visit to the Kota Laksamana Barisan war room, according to The Star.
He said the proposed transformation would be supported by the Straits of Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone, which would bring together tourism, commercial and industrial activities along the state's waterfront. The development would mostly involve private concessionaires undertaking projects through private finance initiatives, with the state government coordinating implementation, providing facilities and easing bureaucratic processes, he said.
Among the developments he named were the Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre, new shopping facilities at Tarcor Park and plans to expand the area's tourism and commercial activities.
On the election, Ab Rauf said Barisan was targeting between 25 and 26 seats in the 28-seat state assembly, following what he described as the allocation of two additional seats to the coalition. He called on the Umno machinery to work alongside MCA members to secure a victory for Melvin Chua, Barisan's candidate for Kota Laksamana.
MCA president Wee Ka Siong, who was also present, expressed confidence in Chua's ability to serve the constituency, citing his experience as a three-term city councillor and his work at grassroots level. He said Chua had prepared a set of 100-day pledges for the constituency.