KUALA LUMPUR-- Former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin feels that the choice of future menteri besar is the most critical factor if the BN wants to recapture Selangor and hold on to Negeri Sembilan.
He said during an exclusive interview with Sin Chew Daily that Najib should announce the choice of next Selangor menteri besar as soon as possible while replacing a new one for Negeri Sembilan.
He said BN would very likely recapture Selangor provided that the voters in the state knew in advance who their next MB would be.
With PKR now divided into two opposing camps, Daim said it wouldn't be problem for BN to recapture Selangor if they fielded good candidates. He added that there should be new faces in Selangor, people with refreshing and clean image that the voters could accept.
As for Negeri Sembilan, Daim said the residents of Negeri Sembilan were currently not too happy with MB Datuk Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Haji Hassan. No Negeri Sembilan MBs have succeeded for a second term with the exception of Tan Sri Mohd Isa B Hj. Abdul Samad.
"This could be the way things are done in the state whereby changing MBs is seen as a way to resolve problems."
He reminded BN that any dispute in the choice of MB would only facilitate the advances of Pakatan Rakyat.
Optimistic
Daim remains optimistic of BN's winning chances in the upcoming general election, predicting that the ruling coalition could retain Putrajaya while wrestling Selangor and Kedah from Pakatan, adding that Kelantan could also turn to BN this time.
However he admitted that the battle would be very fierce in both Selangor and Perak.
When asked to comment on Lim Kit Siang's ambitions for Johor, Daim said the Chinese voters in Johor were different from those in KL, as they wanted stability.
Nevertheless, he felt it was possible for Kit Siang to win in Gelang Patah while DAP could clinch a few more seats in the state.
The veteran politician known for his accurate electoral predictions admitted that many changes could take place in politics within a week, and a more accurate prediction could only be made about three days before the polls.
He told Sin Chew Daily Kelantanese had grown sick of menteri besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat as the state had not seen much development over the years. However he admitted that retaking Kelantan was hard so long as Nik Aziz was still around.
"Many Kelantanese now look for jobs in other states because they don't want to live under a PAS administration, but will go back there to vote.
"Meanwhile in Kedah, the disputes among Pakatan's parties continue. Pakatan has not brought much development to the state and if they are in power again, they will fight among themselves to stay on top. Each party thinks it can outperform others."
He said infighting among Pakatan parties had already taken place in Selangor and Johor and many voters would take this into consideration when casting their ballots.
Penang a very tough bet
Daim agreed it would be extremely difficult to take Penang because the state is made up of majority urban Chinese who are unhappy with the Federal government.
"People living in cities think they are more progressive than their rural counterparts, and consequently it is hard for the government to get bigger support from urban voters."
As for Perak, BN has 50% chance to retain Perak because DAP's Parliamentary Leader Lim Kit Siang will leave Perak for Johor and DAP's battle in the state will be led by the Ngeh brothers who are not in good terms with the party's Indian leader M. Kulasegaran.
On Anwar's move to Perak, Daim said Anwar was already "obsolete." He said some people might think Anwar had changed, but the change just came a little too late.
Other than Lembah Pantai where Federal Territory Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik has a chance, Daim said it would be difficult for the BN to make significant breakthroughs in KL
"BN has learned a lesson. They know they will lose some seats if they are divided. So they are more united than Pakatan now."
-Sin Chew Daily
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