BUT SOME IN UMNO ARE ONLY TOO HAPPY! Don't be disappointed with Sg Limau loss - DPM

PARIS - Barisan Nasional (BN) election machinery should not feel disappointed and considered the loss in the Sungai Limau by-election as an ongoing challenge for BN and its machinery to step up efforts in future elections.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the election machinery had worked hard and succeeded in wooing voters in the constituency although BN failed to wrest the seat from Pas.

"The BN election machinery should be proud of its achievement in reducing the majority in the by-election, despite the limited campaign period," he told reporters after attending the opening ceremony of the 37th Unesco General Conference here yesterday.

Pas retained the Sungai Limau state seat with a reduced majority of 1,084 votes in the by-election. Its candidate, Mohd Azam Abd Samat,37, garnered 12,069 votes while Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim, 52, polled 10,985 votes.

In the 13th general election in May, the late Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak of PAS had retained the seat for the fifth term in a four-cornered fight with a 2,774-vote majority.

"We thank the BN election machinery for their hard work in reducing Pas majority by 1,690 votes. We won at 10 polling districts this time out of 19, compared to seven previously," he said.

Muhyiddin said the upward trend showed people in the constituency are accepting BN and even attributed the rising numbers to fence sitters and Chinese voters who previously voted for the opposition in the 13th general election.

"We will continue to work hard and it is not impossible for us to capture areas which are considered Pas strongholds," he said.

Muhyiddin said a postmortem will be conducted soon to analyse the election machinery's capabilities, logistics and in spreading information to the people.

He said the government will proceed with the implementation of projects promised for the Sungai Limau constituency.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin shaking hands with President of the 36th Session of the general Conference Unesco Katalin Bogyay (right) during the 37th United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) General Conference here today. Also present Malaysian Ambassador to France Tan Sri Ismail Omar (middle). -- Bernama