Khoo said DAP joined the Melaka administration in April 2023 after being invited by chief minister Ab Rauf Yusoh, who offered DAP a seat in the state executive council as he wanted the state government to reflect the unity government in Putrajaya.

“Who is Akmal Saleh? The power to appoint state exco members lies with the chief minister, not Akmal Saleh,” Khoo said during the Melaka DAP convention today.

“When the chief minister was sworn in in 2023, he invited DAP to be part of the state unity government.

“In that spirit of unity, he invited one DAP representative into the state exco, and we accepted. We have been the opposition for a long time. We are not hungry for posts.”

Tanjung Bidara assemblyman Rauf is the Melaka Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman.

Khoo was responding to Akmal’s call at an Umno Youth convention yesterday for DAP to quit the Melaka unity government.

The Kota Melaka MP said that while Melaka DAP was not afraid to contest elections independently, any decision must be carefully considered.

Officiating the state convention, DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook said the party’s direction and decisions should not be dictated by others, despite calls from allies and grassroots members to contest alone or stay out of state governments.

Loke added that DAP would assess the situation and decide in its own time, stressing that the party should not be provoked or pressured into hasty decisions.

“The direction and decisions of the party are not made according to other people’s rhythm,” he said.

“We will make our own decision. We do not need others to tell us what we should do.”