MELAKA: State Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh says he will honour the decision to pick Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali as chief minister-designate if the coalition wins the state polls.

       “I will abide as well as respect the decision made by the Barisan and Umno leadership. I am a staunch party man,” he said when contacted yesterday.

       Ab Rauf, who is also Melaka Umno chief, was asked to comment on a social media post alleging that he would be the chief minister-designated if Barisan wins, by disregarding former Melaka chief minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali.

       Sulaiman was nominated by Barisan as chief minister-designate on Nov 9 and was the first coalition to do so, followed by Pakatan Harapan which announced that former chief minister Adly Zahari is favoured for the position.

       Only the Perikatan Nasional coalition has yet to name its choice of chief minister although the coalition’s election director Datuk Seri Azmin Ali said there is an individual reserved for the position.

       Rauf said the choice of Barisan’s chief minister-designate will remain the final decision as stipulated by the leadership.

       “Even my candidacy in the Melaka election is decided by the Barisan and Umno leadership.

       “If they (leadership) say no, I will abide (by not contesting) in the Melaka election,” he said.

       Ab Rauf said he is used to criticism levelled at him and deems this as the political game of certain quarters.

       “There are always frustrated people and as a leader, I can’t escape criticism,” he added.

       Ab Rauf is involved in a three-cornered fight with Perikatan Nasional’s Masjid Tanah MP Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin and Zainal Hassan of Pakatan Harapan.