Wrest Perak? Get ready to lose more seats, BN tells Pakatan

Nabihah Hamid Gan Pei Ling Nabihah Hamid, Gan Pei Ling Updated 8 years ago · Published on 13 Mar 2018 7:00AM · 3 Comments

Barisan Nasional flags at Dewan Merdeka for the Chinese New Year open house in Lenggong over the weekend. Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir is a popular figure in the state and is expected to deliver a thumping BN victory at the next elections. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, March 13, 2018.

PAKATAN Harapan stands zero chance of wresting control of Perak in the next general election because of disunity and the lack of a strong leader, Barisan Nasional state leaders said.

In fact, the opposition pact should be prepared to suffer even greater losses – up to nine more seats – in GE14, said state Umno liaison committee deputy chairman Saarani Mohamad.

Saarani told The Malaysian Insight BN is prepared to fend off any offensive by Pakatan and dismissed talk of a Malay tsunami that will supposedly give PH victory.

“There is no Malay tsunami in support of Pakatan. There is a Malay tsunami supporting BN,” he said.

“I’m one of the leaders in Perak, I go to the ground, so I know. BN will win 40 seats in the general election this time.”

BN won 31 out of 59 state seats in the last elections, while Pakatan won 24 seats, with 18 held by DAP, PKR (5) and Amanah (1). PAS holds four state seats.

Invoke, the big data analytics organisation led by PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli, said last week Perak will fall to Pakatan along with Kedah and Johor, bringing to five the number of states to be led by PH after GE14.

PH currently controls Selangor and Penang.

According to research conducted by Invoke, PH is expected to win 32 state seats while BN will bag 27 seats. The organisation predicted that PAS will not even win a single seat in Perak.

However, Saarani said support for BN among the locals has been consistently strong in the past five years.

“We have been working for these elections since 2014. We have identified the reason for our loss in several areas. We have worked hard to register new voters who are supporters of BN,” said Saarani, the Kota Tampan assemblyman.

Analysts and PH leaders believe that the winner of the election in Perak will be decided by the outcome of 30 seats in Malay-majority areas BN won by fewer than 1,000 votes in the last elections.

Kota Tampan assemblyman Saarani Mohamad dismisses any talk of Malay tsunami and support for the opposition in Perak, adding that Barisan Nasional has the track record in the state. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, March 13, 2018.

However, Saarani said BN is not worried about its position in marginal seats, as many PAS supporters voted the opposition in the last elections.

He cited the example of the Kuala Sepetang seat, which PKR won by only 758 votes. Saarani said many of the opposition voters then were PAS supporters.

“Our strength in BN is unity. We work well in Umno, and with other component parties, not like the opposition. They have already broken up. No more (cooperation) with PAS.

“So, when the time comes for the elections, we will have the advantage.”

PAS was part of the then Pakatan Rakyat coalition in the 13th general election but last year, cut off ties with PKR and DAP and withdrew from PH.

Analyst Prof Dr Mohd Redzuan Othman said the lack of unity in PH Perak is compounded by the lack of a central leadership figure.

“They (PH Perak) don’t have a leader who can unite the parties, nobody who can stand up to Zambry,” he said, referring to popular Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir.

“I predict that BN will win Perak with a big majority.”

BN’s consistentcy

Saarani said the ruling party has also been consistently serving the people of Perak, as Zambry has been emphasising the need for all representatives to go down to the ground to sort out problems faced by their constituents.

“We have set up the ‘Mobile Shop 1AmanJaya’ for daily goods. The prices are about 5% to 10% cheaper. This, we do for the people.”

Lenggong MP Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said the people could tell that BN is sincere about helping them.

“We have worked long and hard before the general election. This has already become the way we work. It’s a sign of our relationship with the people. This is our strength,” he said.

Shamsul said Perak folk are unperturbed by international and national issues, such as the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, as they are aware these are merely politicking.

Saarani added: “They know these are all political stories. Kampung folk don’t care about what’s happening at the national level, what’s important is that they have cheap rice, cheap sugar and so on.” – March 13, 2018.

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Comments

  • Thanks to Xi Jin Ping’s impeccable timing Malaysians now know what’s in store for this nation should a Chinese dominated Harapan gain control of the Malaysian government. For all their facade of righteousness there is nothing that Harapan can offer Malaysia. They simply do not have a democratic mentality, nor do they have the well-being of this country nor its people at heart. Mahathir is looking after himself. The DAP is looking after itself. Amanah is looking after Islam and by default itself. PKR doesn’t know what it’s doing. We should all be grateful that the ‘stupid’ Malays have had the common sense and the tenacity to tolerate BN’s incompetence and corruption in preference to an opposition takeover

    Posted 8 years ago by Dennis Madden · Reply

  • PAS at 18%, over 22% refuse to answer, 17% unndecided. The margin of error is too high to be conclusive either way..The alarming one is still PAS support at 18%.. At double digit, PH chances are not good. It always been and still is a Hadi's PAS problem.This election is about corruption AND religion, cost of good may be real but the battle is really religion and corruption and PH too scared to thread it even Amanah leading the way.

    Posted 8 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • Invoke can write whatever they feel base on their research and datas. Is it wholesome enough ?? from the deliberation of socio political, cultural and most importantly the economic aspect in reference to the demography placement. Maybe it is for political posturing or syiok factor but ultimately the end result will determine the outcome. True to a fact that PH is always thinking that the nons will be a significant factor and a dependable stable platform in winning Perak. As a matter of fact PH is not placing enough emphasis in garnering the voters sentiment . Only the DAP voice of Nga is heard and to a certain extent thru the social media and that it is only within the whims and fancies of the receiver to air it around. Personally I think PH is taking the unsubstantiated claim of support for granted. No hard work no gain. Right now even without much of a fanatstic developement by the state government the sentiments of complacency are not just the Malay voters but even with the nons , as the adage embodying a standard economic well being--- just living by with food and basic neccessities readily available !!!!!!!!!!!!!!.Truthtly the populations dermography of older age break down are a factor with no high expectations or well educated on the potential ills and miseries from the bad administration. The young outstation voters coming back to vote may not be enough for a displacement of the voting block pattern. UmnoBn has done lots of devious propaganda to atune the brain with hatred and it is a detrimental consequences. Even the Mufti in the states are not sparring their effort in their political games. From what is gathered at ground level the GE14 in Perak could just be at status quo. Grouses and complaints are a plenty but not enough to rock or force feed a change. Wake up PH and start getting your feet tired and dirty. The old wise saying " Only aching legs and feets with dirty shoes will see good harvest". Bear this in mind --- Perak is not just DAP !!!!!

    Posted 8 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply