PERIKATAN Nasional leaders and grassroots members are on board for a logo change.

They said a new design would not confuse voters but instead would work to their advantage in reaching out to the voters.

Johor PN leader Badrul Hisham Shaharin said the existing logo needs to be changed, especially so because it was similar to Barisan Nasional’s (BN).

The state election director for Johor Bersatu said the logo issue was one of many factors discussed after the pact’s defeat in the Johor and Malacca elections.

“The fact is that many people are confused by the PN logo, which color is almost the same as BN’s.

“There is also the issue of the wording in our logo, which is quite confusing and difficult to read.

“A new PN logo would make it easier for the election machinery to campaign to reach out to new voters, especially senior citizens who may be less familiar with the PN logo.”

PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin has said that the pact will have a new logo in time for the general election.

The Bersatu president said the proposal to modify the logo was made at a PN supreme council meeting two weeks ago.

PAS has agreed that a logo change is necessary to prevent confusion among supporters.

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the decision took into account members’ feedback after the Malacca and Johor elections where some supporters were confused between the colours of PN and BN.

Badrul, better known as Chegu Bard, said PN will still face challenges promoting the new logo.

“It’s a bit stressful in terms of time constraint but I believe we can overcome that. I am confident that this new logo will help PN in the next GE because we will have a logo that more accurately represents the PN struggle,” he said.

In Kedah, PN grassroots leaders said they have no problems with the party leaders’ decision to change the logo design

Kedah PAS committee member Mohd Hilmi Wahab said the supporters will vote for the Islamic party no matter what.

Do or die

A political observer, however, said the logo issue is “do or die” for PN.

Ilham Center executive director Hisomuddin Bakar said that the pattern of voting is based on several factors, such as party, candidate and current issues.

He said the pattern was clear in the Sabah, Malacca and Johor elections where the voters chose PN before the individual parties in the pact.

“For example, the coalition is supported by PAS supporters who are the backbone of PN. We know its members will follow whatever the leadership decides because their members are loyal,” he said.

He said PAS is used to changing logos having previously used a yacht symbol when it joined a coalition government in 1973.

At the Cameron Highlands by-election, PAS members also did not object when they were told to vote for BN, said Hisomuddin.

However, he did not see the electoral defeats in Johor and Malacca as the real reason for a logo change.

“PN was successful in Sabah and at that time the logo had just been introduced.

“I think there must be another issue at play because if the voters were confused, why was the confusion not apparent then?

“Voters are mature enough to know.” – July 17, 2022.