Selangor Umno deputy chairman Datuk Abdul Shukor Idrus says he agrees with UMcedel's recent survey that the Chinese community in Selangor has shunned Barisan Nasional. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, October 25, 2014.
A Selangor Umno leader claimed the Chinese were behind a movement to spread hatred towards Barisan Nasional, resulting in the community's declining support towards the coalition in the state.
Responding to the findings of the latest Universiti Malaya Centre for Democracy and Election (UMcedel) survey, Selangor Umno deputy chairman Datuk Abdul Shukor Idrus said the Chinese were “extreme” in their support for Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
“I can see they are behind a movement to hate BN. I can see that the Chinese really hate BN,” Shukor told The Malaysian Insider.
“The results of the past two elections showed that the Chinese did not vote for BN. If they do not change their ways, then I suppose I would agree with their (UMcedel’s) results.”
The results of the UMcedel survey, carried out three days after Mohamed Azmin Ali was sworn in as the Selangor menteri besar, revealed that support for Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor had surged to 43%.
However, support for BN declined to 20%, while 28% of respondents said they supported neither coalitions, and another 9% refused to respond.
A previous survey by Umcedel in May this year showed that support for PR was at 35% while support for BN was at 25%.
Shukor said that the Chinese had always wanted PR to rule Selangor, unlike the Malays and Indians, who he claimed were returning to BN's fold.
He added that the results of the UMcedel survey reflected the support of the Chinese towards PR in Selangor, and could not be interpreted as the support of all voters in general.
“In my opinion, only one community clearly does not support us and deliberately shuns us. Only that community is extreme in giving their support to the opposition.
“Based on the results of the 13th general election, where ballot boxes were separated by race, only that one particular race overwhelmingly withdrew their support for us."
BN's Kota Damansara assemblyperson Halimaton Saadiah Bohan agreed, adding that the Malays and Indians were beginning to support BN.
She said Selangor Umno was working hard to close the gap between the number of seats held by BN and PR in the state assembly.
“In the last general election, support from the Malays increased, but we were unable to gain the votes of the Chinese. In my area, the support from the Indians also increased.
“We are working on it. We are trying our best to wrest the seats back, even though some say that is impossible and we can only increase the number of Selangor BN assemblymen.”
Umno’s Ampang division chief, Datuk Ismail Kijo, said that BN could still gain the support of the 28% who told UMcedel they were undecided.
He said if Umno were able to win over that group, it would not be impossible for BN to wrest back the state in the next general election.
“Those on the fence have taken a ‘wait and see’ approach towards Umno. Let’s say we are able to come up with ideas that fulfil their needs, then this 28% could turn to BN.
“We have to identify this group, and find out what they want. Then we give them what they want,” he said, adding that the recent Selangor MB crisis had opened up the opportunity for them.
However, the former Lembah Jaya assemblyman said that they would not be able to fulfil all the needs of the voters, especially if it went against the aspirations of the Malays in the state.
“I always ask the voters what they want, because if we can fulfil 50% of their requests, then we can consider it a success.
“But the requests must not erode the trust of the Malays towards Umno and BN. Maybe some of what they want will bring negative repercussions to Malays, so we can’t fulfil such requests.”
Shukor said UMcedel had a right to broadcast its results, but added that Selangor Umno would carry on with their hard work like normal.
The Kuang assemblyman said it was up to the voters in Selangor to judge BN and PR’s performance in the state.
“To us, whether we are popular or not, we will continue working like normal. We will work to convince the rakyat so that they put their trust in us.
“The rakyat can evaluate what we’re doing, and at the same time evaluate what the PR government in Selangor is doing,” he said.
- TMI
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