ALOR GAJAH, October 18 2026, Barisan Nasional (BN) needs to strengthen its voter outreach strategies ahead of the Nov 14 Melaka state election as Undi18 and automatic voter registration continue to reshape the electoral landscape.
Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, who is also the state BN chairman, said the changes had made it more challenging for political parties to identify and engage voters, particularly those who had not previously participated in elections.
He said BN could no longer rely solely on traditional campaign approaches, as the automatic registration system had introduced new groups of voters whose political preferences were not necessarily known to the coalition.
Ab Rauf cited BN’s defeat in the Alor Gajah parliamentary constituency during the 15th General Election (GE15) as an example of the challenges posed by the changing voter landscape.
He was speaking after launching BN’s election machinery for the Alor Gajah parliamentary constituency at Dewan Kampung Permai in Machap Umboo.
Ab Rauf also noted that BN’s strong performance in the 2021 Melaka state election did not translate into similar success at the federal level during GE15, when the coalition lost all six parliamentary seats in the state.
The Election Commission has scheduled Oct 31 for nomination day, Nov 10 for early voting and Nov 14 for polling day.
In the 2021 Melaka state election, BN won 21 of the 28 state seats, while Pakatan Harapan (PH) secured five and Perikatan Nasional (PN) won two.
-BERNAMA
