PN’s Gemas candidate makes peace pitch to BN voters

 Ridzuan Ahmad hopes the BN-PN cooperation will boost support in Gemas and other seats in the Tampin parliamentary constituency.

PN’s Gemas candidate Ridzuan Ahmad rejected claims that supporters of PN and BN would boycott each other’s coalition.

TAMPIN:

Perikatan Nasional’s candidate for Gemas, Ridzuan Ahmad, is seeking support from Barisan Nasional (BN) voters, apologising for his actions and stances before the coalitions joined forces for the Negeri Sembilan state election.

Speaking at a BN-PN Tampin parliamentary constituency candidate introduction ceramah at Felda Bukit Rokan last night, Ridzuan said he understood that he might have hurt some BN supporters.

“I used to be from Umno, too. So, feelings were hurt. Previously, I contested under the PN banner, but we were not working with BN. This time, we are working together with BN,” he said.

“I apologise to voters if there were mistakes or promises that were not fulfilled. As an incumbent assemblyman, I may have hurt voters’ feelings before, but today we are together in a new coalition and partnership.”

Ridzuan said he was confident the PN-BN cooperation would translate into grassroots support for him in Gemas and other state seats in the Tampin parliamentary constituency.

He also dismissed claims that supporters of both coalitions would boycott each other, saying he expected his vote share to increase.

“PN will help BN. BN will help PN. If previously I won with a majority of around 3,100 votes, God willing, I believe it will double with support from BN voters. The same goes for other state seats,” he said.

Ridzuan won Gemas in the 2023 Negeri Sembilan election with a 3,120-vote majority as a PN-Bersatu candidate, defeating BN-Umno. He subsequently left Bersatu and joined Parti Wawasan Negara.

This time, Ridzuan will defend the seat in a three-cornered contest against Pakatan Harapan’s Siti Aishah Seman @ Othman and Bersatu’s Azman Abdullah. - FMT