PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan leaders must learn a lesson from the Melaka state election, says PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli.

       The former Pandan MP said supporters of Pakatan and PKR should take heart and not be too sad or lose hope.

       “There is a good lesson to be learned from the Melaka polls.

       “If the coalition’s leadership learns from this outcome and sets aside its ego, God willing, the 15th General Election will be better,” he tweeted yesterday.

       Rafizi said he had previously warned the Pakatan leadership not to accept “political frogs” to contest in the Melaka election.

       Of the 28 state seats up for grabs, Pakatan won only five seats, with DAP accounting for four and Amanah one.

       Meanwhile, Melaka DAP chairman Datuk Tey Kok Kiew has resigned following the party’s dismal showing in the state election.

       This was confirmed by Kota Melaka MP and election director Khoo Poay Tiong.

       Although Khoo did not reveal the reason for his resignation, Tey was quoted by a Chinese daily as saying that he was quitting as Melaka DAP chief as he took full responsibility for the party’s performance at the polls.

       “This is my personal decision. I would like to apologise to DAP members, Pakatan Harapan allies and our supporters for failing to achieve our target.

       “As state party chief, I must be fully responsible for the results of the election.

       “I hereby announce my resignation as state party chief with immediate effect,” he was quoted as saying.

       Tey, who was among the four defeated DAP candidates, was reported to have said that he would hand over his resignation letter to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

       DAP had fielded eight candidates in the Melaka polls, but only won in Kesidang, Kota Laksamana, Bandar Hilir and Ayer Keroh.

       Tey was defeated in Bemban in a five-cornered contest with Perikatan Nasional’s Dr Mohd Yadzil Yaakub winning with 4,211 votes against the DAP leader’s 3,095 votes.The seat was won by Pakatan in GE14 with a 1,345-vote majority.

       Pakatan Harapan has said that it would conduct a post-mortem on its poor showing at the polls, winning just five seats.