FORMER prime minister Najib Razak can still count on the loyalty of most voters in his Pekan constituency, but many former supporters admitted to voting him out as loathing for his wife Rosmah Mansor grows.

Najib has held the Pekan seat since 1976 at the age of 23, when he took over from his late father and the nation’s second prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein.

Despite leading the Barisan Nasional coalition to its greatest defeat in the 14^th general election, Najib managed to retain the Pekan seat by 25,000 votes.

His defeat in GE14 surprised many of the older voters in Pekan.

“We are very disappointed. We do not know what is going to happen to us. He takes care of people here in Pekan. Especially the old people,” restaurant owner Jamilah Abdul Rahman told Malaysia Decides recently.

Among the benefits Najib brought to Pekan during his tenure as prime minister include healthcare facilities and the Rural Transformation Centre (RTC).

“There are many old folk here. They are still with Najib. Maybe it’s the sentiment because of his father,” said a shopkeeper who declined to be named.

However, an increasing number of locals – especially younger voters – voted against BN out of dissatisfaction with Rosmah.

Housewife Kalsom Mohamad, 50, said she voted BN out this time to get rid of Najib and his wife.

“People support Umno but not Najib. They don’t want to throw way Umno but they also don’t want Najib and his wife around. She is the cause,” she said.

Kalsom said the younger generation was more aware of the political happenings and many refused to vote for Najib.

“Only old people will believe him. But the younger generation don’t want to,” Kalsom said.

Another voter, Banu, 38, said negative sentiments against Rosmah was why he didn’t vote BN this time.

“We like him but not his wife, we don’t like her. The real problem stems with her,” he said.

In the last elections, Najib retained the seat by 24,859 votes, compared with 35,613 in 2013.

In his speech at the Pekan division earlier yesterday, the former Umno president said he had aimed to win by 40,000 votes but fell short at 25,000.

“Thank you all for working hard during the elections. We didn’t achieve the target but we still had a high majority.” – May 21, 2018.