No need to appoint two new Perikatan excos in Melaka, says Tok Mat after BN win

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 ― There is no need for two new state assemblymen from Perikatan Nasional (PN) to be appointed as members of the State Executive Council (exco) in the formation of the Melaka state government in the future, Barisan Nasional (BN) reportedly said.

Its deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan who is also known as Tok Mat, in expressing his views said that after achieving a two-thirds victory in the recent Melaka state election, reportedly said BN is not in a position to require the party to bring in the two PN state assemblymen as exco members.

“If when competing we were not together, how can it be that when 'eating' we are together?

“I want to ask what is the need, when we do something there must be a need. If we don't have enough seats, but we already have too many seats, among us there are too many to be appointed as excos.

“For me there is no need, if brought to the party leadership I will ask what's the need because I am one of the highest leaders of the party, if I am satisfied with the answer, okay,” he was quoted saying in Free Malaysia Today.

Prior to this, the Chief Minister of Melaka, Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali said the position of the two PN assemblymen in the exco line-up has not been decided and the matter needs to be discussed with the BN leadership taking into account the party's scenario of contesting solo in the Melaka state election.

Meanwhile, Mohamad, who is also Umno deputy president and BN election director, reportedly stressed that it would not be an anomaly if understanding and cooperation between the parties took place at the federal level but not at the state level.

“Many other countries, at the federal government level, they are together but in their states they are not together. That is not an anomaly and not new but in Malaysia it is the first time.

“If there is nothing to worry about, if the Melaka government brings it up, I will ask, if they can state and inform us that there is such a need, we agree.  We also do not want to make it difficult for any party, but there must be justification, that's all,” he was quoted saying.