MELAKA — The Melaka state legislative assembly has passed a controversial constitutional amendment allowing the appointment of up to seven unelected assemblymen, triggering the immediate withdrawal of DAP and Pakatan Harapan (PH) from the Barisan Nasional (BN)-led state administration.
The Malacca State Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 was passed this afternoon by a show of hands, with 23 assembly members voting in favour and five opposing.
Following the passage of the bill, Melaka DAP confirmed it is pulling out of the state unity government, with its representatives relinquishing all administrative, legislative, and grassroots positions in protest.
Mass Resignations and Political Walkout
The mass resignation terminates DAP’s participation in the BN-led state administration. The party is withdrawing its representatives from all levels of the state government, including:
- Allex Seah Shoo Chin, State Executive Councillor (Entrepreneur Development, Cooperatives, and Consumer Affairs).
- Kerk Chee Yee, Deputy Legislative Assembly Speaker.
- Low Chee Leong and Leng Chau Yen, Deputy Executive Councillors.
- All party-appointed local municipal councillors and village heads.
Melaka DAP chairman Khoo Poay Tiong confirmed that the withdrawal strategy had been briefed to and endorsed by the party’s national Central Executive Committee (CEC) last night.
Melaka PH chairman Adly Zahari, of Amanah, is standing in solidarity with DAP, effectively pulling the entire state Pakatan Harapan coalition out of the state government.
The Core Dispute over Democratic Representation
The political crisis stems from the amendment enabling the state government to appoint up to seven unelected representatives to the state legislature.
DAP has strongly opposed the move, warning that expanding legislative and executive power to unelected individuals compromises democratic representation and creates severe vulnerabilities for political abuse.
“The proposal weakens democratic representation by enabling unelected individuals to sit in the state legislature,” the party previously warned in a public statement.
The Melaka state assembly comprises 28 elected seats. Prior to today’s political fallout, the ruling bloc held a commanding supermajority, with BN holding 20 seats and PH holding five, while Perikatan Nasional (PN) held three seats in the opposition.
Widening Fractures with MCA
The tabling of the bill has also exposed deep fractures within the federal unity government framework, sparking public confrontation between DAP and BN component party MCA.
Prior to the vote, Allex Seah had publicly pledged to resign immediately if the amendment was passed. Seah challenged Melaka MCA chief Lim Ban Hong to state whether MCA would stand with the electorate in opposing the bill or back the constitutional changes. Lim, in turn, questioned whether Seah and DAP had formally voiced their objections during previous private state exco cabinet meetings.
With the bill now officially passed, the post-election BN-PH coalition government structure in Melaka has effectively collapsed.
