Kuala Lampur, Oct. 23 -- The High Court's decision to stay the deregistration of Perikatan Nasional (PN) may have given the opposition coalition a temporary political lifeline.

Yet the restoration of its ability to function does not necessarily translate into electoral strength, especially in Melaka, where Barisan Nasional (BN) remains deeply entrenched.

Indeed, even if PN enters the November 14 state election with its familiar blue flag fluttering beside BN's equally recognisable blue banner, the latter has little to gain from such an arrangement.

The reasons are structural, historical and electoral.

First, Melaka is not Kedah, Kelantan or Terengganu, where PAS enjoys a formidable grassroots presence. Neither is it a state where PN h...