BN won big in by-elections because GRS opted out, says Salleh

The former Sabah chief minister says the ruling coalition's decision to sit out the polls prevented a split in votes.

Former chief minister Salleh Said Keruak said the selection of the right candidates also strengthened voter confidence and support. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Umno’s Salleh Said Keruak hailed Gabungan Rakyat Sabah’s decision to sit out the two by-elections on Saturday, saying it was the main factor that allowed Barisan Nasional to secure a comfortable victory at the polls.

In a Facebook post, the former chief minister said GRS’s decision not to contest the by-elections prevented a split in votes.

“It also allowed support from like-minded voters to be consolidated under a single candidate,” he said.

BN retained the Lamag state seat and the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat with bigger majorities in the by-elections.

BN’s Lamag candidate, Ismail Ayob, won with a 5,681-vote majority in a straight fight against Warisan’s Mazliwati Abdul Malek.

The coalition’s Kinabatangan candidate, Naim Kurniawan Moktar, who is the son of the late Bung Mokhtar Radin, retained the seat with a 14,214-vote majority in a three-cornered contest.

In December, GRS chairman Hajiji Noor said the coalition was inclined to make way for BN out of respect for the coalition that previously won the seats.

Hajiji said GRS would focus instead on supporting BN to ensure its victory in the by-elections.

Salleh said other contributing factors to BN’s victory included the cooperation between BN and GRS, while sympathy and appreciation for Bung’s contributions also influenced voter sentiment.

He also said the selection of the right candidates strengthened voter confidence and support, while a strong and well-organised party machinery at the grassroots level ensured the campaign was executed effectively.

“Overall, this victory demonstrates that mature political cooperation, the right candidate, and an efficient party machinery are keys to success,” he said.

Naim also thanked the GRS machinery following his victory. - FMT