MELAKA, Nov. 14 -- [9.25pm] Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has thanked Melaka voters for the mandate given to his coalition and Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the state election, in a statement issued on behalf of both parties.

The thanks follow an unofficial claim of a sweeping win by the BN-PN side, with BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki saying the two have won 24 of the 28 state seats, a clear supermajority in the state assembly.

If the claim holds, BN and PN together have taken all but four seats, which would leave Pakatan Harapan (PH) with just four, consistent with the seat-by-seat figures reported earlier, which showed PH holding only its urban seats of Kesidang, Ayer Keroh, Kota Laksamana a...