Melaka's state assembly was dissolved on 23 September, setting the state's 16th election in motion. Voters will now choose the government that runs the state for the next five years. The vote matters beyond the state line, because the parties in the federal unity government are using it to measure their cooperation. Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional, rivals not long ago, have to show their partnership can survive a real contest. The opposition, for its part, will read any cracks in that alliance as a sign of weakness. Strategists in both camps treat the state vote as a testing ground ahead of the 16th general election that looms. A convincing win would steady nerves in Putrajaya, while a stumble would set off recriminations.