Polling date
20 November 2021
State election
2021 Malacca State Election
28 state seats · majority of 15 seats
The 2021 Malacca State Election was held after the Malacca State Legislative Assembly was dissolved following the state government's loss of majority support. A total of 112 candidates contested the election, representing Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Harapan (PH), Perikatan Nasional (PN), PUTRA, IMAN and independent candidates. The three main coalitions — BN, PH and PN — fielded candidates in all 28 state constituencies. BN contested through UMNO, MCA and MIC, while PN was represented by Bersatu, PAS and Gerakan. PH fielded candidates from PKR, Amanah and DAP. The election also saw BN and PN competing directly against one another, in addition to facing PH and other parties and independent candidates. The English-language record likewise describes the election as notable for the direct competition between BN and PN.
Main results
How the PRN Melaka results are shared across coalitions and parties.
Nomination day
8 November 2021
Election results
Barisan Nasional won the 2021 Malacca State Election with 21 of the 28 State Legislative Assembly seats. This gave BN more than the 15 seats required for a majority in the State Legislative Assembly. Pakatan Harapan won 5 seats, while Perikatan Nasional secured 2 seats. PUTRA, IMAN and independent candidates did not win any seats. Within BN, UMNO won 18 seats, MCA won 2 seats and MIC won 1 seat. Within PH, DAP won 4 seats and Amanah won 1 seat, while PKR did not win any seats. Both of PN's seats were won by Bersatu. Before the election, BN held 12 seats, PH held 11 and PN held one. Following the election, the composition changed to 21 seats for BN, 5 for PH and 2 for PN. Following BN's victory, Sulaiman Md Ali remained Chief Minister of Malacca.
Distribution of seats won
21
5
2
More than 15 to win
(Assembly total) 28
- 21BN
- 5PH
- 2PN
- 0BEBAS
- 0PUTRA
- 0IMAN
Party performance
6 parties contestingBarisan Nasional
BN · 75% of seats
21seats
Pakatan Harapan
PH · 18% of seats
5seats
Perikatan Nasional
PN · 7% of seats
2seats
BEBAS
0% of seats
0seats
Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia
PUTRA · 0% of seats
0seats
Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional
IMAN · 0% of seats
0seats
Background
The election was triggered by a political crisis in Malacca after four State Legislative Assembly members withdrew their support for then Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali. The four assembly members were Idris Haron, Nor Azman Hassan, Norhizam Hassan Baktee and Noor Effandi Ahmad. Their withdrawal of support resulted in the state government losing its majority in the State Legislative Assembly. Idris Haron, a former Chief Minister of Malacca, was among those involved in the withdrawal of support. According to the source material, he raised concerns over several decisions by the state government that he said had not been implemented. Following the political developments, Sulaiman Md Ali proposed the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly, which received the consent of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca, Mohd Ali Rustam. The dissolution paved the way for a state election. The Election Commission subsequently set 8 November 2021 as nomination day and 20 November 2021 as polling day.
Key issues
One of the main issues surrounding the 2021 Malacca State Election was the conduct of the election during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several standard operating procedures (SOPs) were introduced to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, including restrictions on face-to-face campaigning. These measures limited traditional campaign activities such as political rallies and physical meetings with voters. The restrictions became a subject of debate among the contesting parties. BN said the strict SOPs made it more difficult to assess public sentiment and voter support, while PH also objected to some of the restrictions, describing them as overly stringent. As an alternative to physical campaigning, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) provided candidates with airtime to introduce themselves to voters. There was also controversy over claims that members of the public were prohibited from wearing clothing bearing political party logos in public places. Police later clarified that the issue had arisen from a misunderstanding. During the campaign period, the source material also recorded a 57% increase in COVID-19 hospital admissions in Malacca over a seven-day period.
Seat positions
28 state seats — select a seat to jump to its winner record.
Unofficial (0)
Barisan Nasional(BN) (21)
Pakatan Harapan(PH) (5)
Perikatan Nasional(PN) (2)
Bebas (0)
Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia(PUTRA) (0)
Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional(IMAN) (0)
N01
Kuala Linggi
N02
Tanjung Bidara
N03
Ayer Limau
N04
Lendu
N05
Taboh Naning
N06
Rembia
N07
Gadek
N08
Machap Jaya
N09
Durian Tunggal
N10
Asahan
N11
Sungai Udang
N12
Pantai Kundor
N13
Paya Rumput
N14
Kelebang
N15
Pengkalan Batu
N16
Ayer Keroh
N17
Bukit Katil
N18
Ayer Molek
N19
Kesidang
N20
Kota Laksamana
N21
Duyong
N22
Bandar Hilir
N23
Telok Mas
N24
Bemban
N25
Rim
N26
Serkam
N27
Merlimau
N28
Sungai Rambai
Seat records for Melaka
28 state seats for PRN Melaka 2021. Tap a row for candidate standings.
Questions
Answers about the Melaka 2021 figures shown above.
When was the 2021 Malacca State Election held?
The 2021 Malacca State Election was held on 20 November 2021. Nomination day took place on 8 November 2021, with a minimum campaign period of 12 days before polling day. It was formally the 15th Malacca State Election.
How many State Legislative Assembly seats were contested in the 2021 Malacca State Election?
A total of 28 seats in the Malacca State Legislative Assembly were contested in the 2021 Malacca State Election. A party or coalition required at least 15 seats to secure a majority in the assembly.
Which political parties and coalitions contested the 2021 Malacca State Election?
The three main coalitions contesting the 2021 Malacca State Election were Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN). BN was represented by UMNO, MCA and MIC; PH by PKR, Amanah and DAP; and PN by Bersatu, PAS and Gerakan. PUTRA, IMAN and independent candidates also contested the election.
What were the official results for the State Legislative Assembly seats in the 2021 Malacca State Election?
Of the 28 seats contested, Barisan Nasional won 21 seats, Pakatan Harapan won 5 seats and Perikatan Nasional won 2 seats. The constituency results section on this page lists the winner, party, coalition and winning majority for each of the 28 seats.
Which coalition formed the Malacca state government after the 2021 Malacca State Election?
Barisan Nasional formed the Malacca state government after the 2021 Malacca State Election. BN won 21 of the 28 State Legislative Assembly seats, comfortably exceeding the 15 seats required for a majority.
Who was the Chief Minister of Malacca after the 2021 Malacca State Election?
Sulaiman Md Ali remained the Chief Minister of Malacca following the 2021 Malacca State Election. He also won the N.04 Lendu constituency for Barisan Nasional.
What were the main issues affecting voters during the 2021 Malacca State Election?
Major issues surrounding the 2021 Malacca State Election included the state political crisis that led to the government losing its majority and the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly, as well as the conduct of the election during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strict campaign SOPs, restrictions on face-to-face campaigning and concerns over COVID-19 infections during the campaign period were also prominent issues.