MELAKA: After conceding defeat in Melaka, Pakatan Harapan says it will conduct a post-mortem on the results including finding ways to reach out to rural folk.

       Pakatan secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the results showed that the Melaka voters wished to give their mandate to Barisan Nasional to rule the state.

       “We would like to state that the people of Melaka have made their decision through the ballot box.

       “And based on that, it shows that they want Barisan to form a government and Pakatan needs to respect the results,” he told a press conference last night.

       Also present were Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu, DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke and Melaka Pakatan chief Adly Zahari, the former chief minister under Pakatan.

       Saifuddin said Pakatan would review the outcome of the polls thoroughly based on each voting channel and constituency.

       Asked if Pakatan’s performance had anything to do with its decision to accept two former Umno leaders to contest under its banner, he said they would study the results first.

       “We cannot simply draw a conclusion based on a generalisation like that and whether it has anything to do with the two colleagues who contested on the Pakatan ticket,” he said.

       Mohamad noted that Pakatan did not do well in the rural seats, adding that they would conduct a post-mortem and find ways to reach out to rural voters.

       Loke said although DAP was upset with the outcome of the polls, it managed to secure four out of the eight seats contested.