34% of new voters backed PN, says Gerakan chief

 

Gerakan polled 276,653 votes for its 20 parliamentary candidates, out of 15.5 million votes cast in the general election.

PETALING JAYA: About 34% of first-time voters, especially Malay voters, had supported Perikatan Nasional in the general election on Nov 19, according to Gerakan president Dominic Lau.

He said voter support for his party and PN had increased, and he urged Gerakan members to focus on state assembly elections to be held next year in Kedah, Penang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, and Terengganu.

He said there had been an increase in votes for Gerakan candidates at the Melaka and Johor state elections held in November and March respectively.

Gerakan’s candidates in the three recent elections all lost their contests, many also losing their deposits. Out of 15.5 million votes cast in the general election on Nov 19, the party polled only 276,653 votes for its 20 parliamentary candidates.

In the state elections, the party polled a total of only 8,791 votes for its five candidates in Melaka, out of 326,000 votes cast; and 40,827 for its eight candidates in Johor, out of 1.4 million total votes.

At the parliamentary general election last week, Perikatan Nasional candidates obtained a total of 4.6 million votes or 30.3% of the 15.5 million total votes cast. - FMT