He noted that while Johor is currently governed by BN and Melaka under a unity government, both states were previously won by the coalition.

“In the coming state elections, it is only reasonable and justifiable for BN to continue contesting under its own banner and seek a mandate from voters to govern independently,” he said in his speech at the party’s 77th anniversary celebration today.

Wee added that preparations for the elections must now enter the final stage, with the party machinery in both states ordered to be activated immediately.

As for the strategy for the next general election (GE16), he called for calm.

“For now, we focus on the Melaka and Johor state elections and go all out in the fight. We will let the election results speak for themselves,” the Ayer Hitam MP said.

BN currently holds 40 seats in the Johor legislative assembly and 21 in Melaka. The Melaka state election is expected later this year, while the Johor polls are due by mid-February 2027.

Wee stressed that MCA aims to win more state seats than in the previous elections and said BN must deliver practical solutions to the people instead of relying on rhetoric.

He said it was important to maintain political confidence, warning that BN should not approach the elections with a weak stance toward other parties or signal a willingness to give up traditional seats.

“If we are going into battle, we must do so with full commitment and determination to win.

“Even if BN needs to cooperate with others to form the government after the election, our bargaining power will depend on how many seats we win, not on how low a posture we take,” he added.