PH presidential council to do post-mortem on Tg Piai loss next week

PH vice-president Salahuddin Ayub says whatever restructuring and follow-up action necessary will be done through consensus in PH. (Bernama pic)

SEREMBAN: The defeat of Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the Tanjung Piai parliamentary by-election, including the unhappiness of the people towards the government, will be discussed next week at the scheduled presidential council meeting, said vice-president Salahuddin Ayub.

Salahuddin, who is also Amanah deputy president, said the meeting would conduct a post-mortem on the defeat and subsequently draft follow-up action.

‘’I feel there is one, two major factors which PH must analyse on the result of the Tanjung Piai by-election.

“So, I personally am very open in accepting this loss and these one, two factors should be discussed at the presidential council so that the unhappiness of the people towards the government can be overcome.

‘’Regardless, I treat this phenomenon is only temporary in nature because normally there are groups who exercise their rights in the form of a protest in any by-election.

‘’I see this matter as important. Whatever that we think is necessary for restructuring will be done through consensus in PH,’’ he told reporters after launching the 4th Negeri Sembilan Amanah convention here today.

Present were Negeri Sembilan Amanah chief and state assembly speaker Zulkefly Mohamad Omar and state Amanah deputy chief and state Youth and Sports Development Committee chairman Mohamad Taufek Abd Ghani.

Salahuddin, who is also agriculture and agro-based minister, said PH’s loss could also be because the explanation of issues and the success of various policies implemented by the government did not reach the grassroots.

‘’Many success stories did not reach the people. For example, we have succeeded in creating a government with integrity.

“We no longer hear of corruption cases, we can do everything transparently.

‘’Maybe, PH’s social media strength should be boosted because most kampung people today have smartphones.”

He felt PH had not adopted this technology well to send whatever communication to the grassroots.

Yesterday, Barisan Nasional (BN) recaptured the Tanjung Piai parliamentary seat after its candidate, Wee Jeck Seng, won the by-election with a 15,086-vote majority.

Wee obtained 25,466 votes while PH candidate Karmaine Sardini received 10,380 votes, Gerakan candidate Wendy Subramaniam 1,707 votes, Berjasa candidate Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz 850 and independents Dr Ang Chuan Lock 380 and Faridah Aryani Abd Ghaffar 32.

The Tanjung Piai by-election was held following the death of incumbent Dr Md Farid Md Rafik, 42, from PH, on Sept 21 due to heart complications.

Earlier, Salahuddin, when launching the convention, said what took place at the by-election was an important signal from the people for PH to scrutinise its shortcomings.

He also reminded the members to strengthen integrity and work hard to be with the people. - FMT