Salleh’s reminder: seats win elections, not popularity

Umno members must face reality, he says in answer to Muhyiddin's worry about trust deficit

KOTA KINABALU: Elections are won by the number of seats, not by popular votes, said Sabah Umno leader Salleh Said Keruak today, in a reminder to Umno members to face reality and not live in denial.

He said the problem of Umno’s “trust deficit” among voters, referred to by Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday, was common to political parties around the world.

Salleh urged Umno members not to take the issue personally.

“When the economy happened to be good and people have more money in their pockets the votes are higher but when the world is facing a global recession and times are hard it is lower,” he pointed out.

Ideals were not important to most voters “especially if you have no money, because ideals cannot put food on the table”. That was the first lesson politicians would learn if they aspired to hold public office. “Another thing you need to learn if you want to run a country is that you cannot swim against the current,” Salleh said in a blog article today.

It was not clear whether his pointed remark was a reminder to Umno president Najib Razak, who has faced months of relentless criticism over his handling of state affairs, or was directed towards Muhyiddin, who has been urged to step forward as an alternative to Najib.

Salleh gave examples of past elections where the number of seats did not coincide with the share of the popular vote: in Malaya’s first elections in 1955, the Alliance won 51 of 52 seats contested but with slightly less than 80% of the popular vote; in 1959, the Alliance won just 51% of the popular vote and in 1969 only 49%. In the 30 years up to 2004, the Barisan Nasional won between 53-64% of the popular vote.

His comments about voter perception appear to run counter to Muhyiddin’s remarks. The deputy president had said more efforts were needed by Umno members to secure public confidence in the party and overcome the perception that Umno suffered from a “trust deficit” among voters.

However, Salleh pointed out that elections were won by the number of seats secured and not by the strength of a party’s share of total vote cast. Although the Barisan Nasional received only 47% of the popular vote in 2013 but still won 60% of the seats. In the British elections this month, the Conservative party formed the government, securing 51% of the seats in Parliament with 36% of total votes, Salleh said.

“In today’s environment, if any government can win even just 45% of the popular votes that is already quite remarkable,” he said. The BN’s worst showing was in 2013 with 47% popular votes compared to 2004, considered “the best ever”, which was won on less than two-thirds of the popular votes.

“That has absolutely nothing to do with a “trust deficit” but is more about the trend today all over the world,” Salleh said. “Umno has to be realistic and face up to this reality and not live in denial.”

Muhyiddin, in urging greater party efforts, said members should try to understand the inner feelings of the community and their needs, and thus boost public confidence in the party and government.

“We must be sincere in order to create a positive perception, that is, a party with credibility and integrity so that the party will gain the confidence of the people. There are groups saying that the present situation is most challenging, some are saying ‘trust deficit’… declining trust. I don’t know whether it is a perception or a reality but the responsibility lies with us, especially the younger generation like the Puteri Umno movement,” he said at a gathering of about 1,000 Puteri Umno members in Johor Baru.