Umno-PAS pact can win 30 extra seats in GE15, says Najib

SM Amin SM Amin Updated 5 years ago · Published on 7 Feb 2019 7:00AM · 2 Comments

Barisan Nasional easily retained the Cameron Highlands by-election last month on the back of increased support from PAS supporters. Former prime minister Najib Razak says this is the recipe for Umno and PAS to win GE15. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, February 7, 2019.

BARISAN Nasional can wrest back Putrajaya if Umno works with PAS in the next general election (GE15), said former BN chairman and party president Najib Razak, finally admitting the strategy of forcing three-cornered contests in GE14 caused his government’s downfall.

In the 14th general election last year, Umno encouraged three-cornered contests between itself, PAS and Pakatan Harapan, Najib said at a dialogue session at Wisma Umno in Langkawi.

At the time, analysts said the strategy was to split non-Umno votes between PAS and PH so that Umno could get a majority of the votes.

“That plan was based on the results of the Kuala Kangsar and Sg Besar by-elections in 2016 when Umno, which led the BN coalition, faced off against PAS and PH party Amanah,” Najib said at the dialogue titled “Umno and PAS to defend Islam and Malay power”.

“In our early estimates, based on the Kuala Kangsar and Sg Besar by-elections, where there were three-cornered contests, BN won both seats by bigger majorities (than GE13).

“But that is where our estimates were wrong. In reality, when there are three-cornered contests (in GE14), they were a disadvantage to us.”

In GE14, BN only won 32 out of the 77 parliamentary seats that had three-cornered fights. PAS won 23 while PH took 22.

“So, if you look at the GE14 results, more than 30 parliamentary seats could have been won by Umno and PAS if we had cooperated back then. With the 30 seats, plus the seats from Sabah and Sarawak, we could have formed the government.”

Umno and PAS united at the anti-International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) rally in December to defend Islam and the Malays. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, February 7, 2019.

In GE14, BN won 79 seats and PAS 18. However, Sarawak BN lawmakers left the coalition to form Gabungan Parti Sarawak with 19 seats, leaving BN with 60 MPs. 

BN later lost an additional 21 MPs, who either defected to PH or went independent. As of January this year, the former ruling coalition has 39 seats in the Dewan Rakyat.

Langkawi PAS chief Zubir Ahmad echoed Najib’s views, saying that if they collaborated, both parties could regain Kedah in GE15 with two-thirds of its 36 state seats.

Kedah fell to PH in GE14 after it snared 18 state seats, while BN was left with only three.

“If we cooperated, based on the GE14 results, only Langkawi would be lost. We would win all the other seats. At the state level, we would be able to win 30 out of 36 seats,” said Zubir, who was the other speaker in the programme.

Zubir said Umno and PAS have to find a meeting point to defend Islam and the Malays which are “denigrated by irresponsible people”.

“When Malays and Islam are being pressured, Umno and PAS must find a way to unite.” – February 7, 2019.

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Comments

  • As long as there is Najib's involvement, the winning is very unlikely because the election scenario similar to GE14 will be recurring, and the voters will avoid the poison.

    Posted 5 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • This imaginary and boring 'Malays and Islam being pressured' narrative has been played for the last 60+ years by corrupt politicians. It is time to stop day dreaming and face reality. Living and planning with 'IFs' will not win elections. Just recollect how Malaysians' determined positive actions in GE14. turned the tables against 60+ years built BN fortress to simply crumple into dust. These corrupt politicians' time now is to prepare for a long stay at 'Bamboo River' resort.

    Posted 5 years ago by Citizen Pencen · Reply