UMNO deputy president Mohamad Hasan said the Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership must decide carefully on when it wants a general election as timing was a crucial factor.

“Barisan will have to do a cost-benefit analysis on this and come up with a proper strategy. To me, politics is all about marketing, and making and keeping people happy.

“Just do not make promises you cannot keep,” he was quoted as saying in The Star today.

His comments on the matter came after several political analysts suggested that BN should capitalise on the momentum brought about by its massive win in the Malacca state polls and go for a general election quickly.

BN took the prize with a two-thirds majority in the 28-seat assembly after it won 21 seats, while the Pakatan Harapan picked up five seats. Perikatan Nasional (PN) won two seats.

The former Negri Sembilan menteri besar noted that the leadership had to take into account the flood situation in some parts of the country and the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Any government should have a solid majority so that it won’t be threatened by anyone. We cannot have a situation where the first thing a leader has to do when he wakes up in the morning is to see how many seats (MPs) (are) still supporting him,” Mohamad was quoted as saying in the report.

On another matter, he said Umno would continue its cooperation with PAS under Muafakat Nasional and had never slammed the door on the Islamist party.

He said PAS chose to contest the Malacca polls under Perikatan Nasional.

“It was beyond us that PAS had decided to contest in Malacca under the Perikatan banner. So, it is really up to PAS to decide what they want,” he was quoted as saying.

The Islamist party lost all the seats it had contested in yesterday’s elections. – November 21, 2021.