POPULARITY alone will not guarantee victory in the Selangor elections, Umno state chief Megat Zulkarnain Omardin said.

He cautioned former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin that Selangor voters are “dynamic” and do not vote for candidates based on party or reputation.

“The situation is fluid and can change anytime, especially by the middle of the year, when the state elections are expected to be held.

“No one can accurately predict what will happen tomorrow or the day after, and that will surely influence the voters’ mindset when polling day arrives,” Megat was quoted as saying in Utusan Malaysia today.

He said Barisan Nasional had won two state elections and a series of by-elections after the 2018 national polls but fared poorly in the last general election.

“The situation is dynamic. It depends on the voters’ preference at the time of polling. What will happen in the next three to four months, no one can predict,” he said in the report.

Khairy was given the boot by Umno last month for breaching party rules during the November general election

Following that, the former Rembau MP said he was looking to further his political career in Selangor and could contest in the state polls, despite failing to secure the Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat in the general election.

Khairy previously told The Malaysian Insight that his move to Selangor will depend on his joining the right political party.

“There is a possibility if I find the right fit with the right party,” he said. – February 11, 2023.