Declining Malay support shows BN has lost its ‘fangs’, says PAS

 

PAS says BN’s struggle no longer has a place in the hearts of the people, especially the Malays. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: PAS says Barisan Nasional’s (BN) declining share of the Malay votes over the past three general elections is proof that the once dominant ruling coalition has “lost its fangs”.

In a statement on its Facebook page, PAS said BN only managed to secure 33% of the Malay votes during the recently concluded general election (GE15).

The Islamic party said this was a drop from the 62% BN won in GE13 and 43% in GE14, when the coalition lost its grip on federal power for the first time in six decades.

PAS said that by comparison, there was a “tsunami” of Malay votes for Perikatan Nasional, which secured 54% of them. It said Pakatan Harapan obtained 11% of the Malay votes.

“What additional proof does BN need to show that their struggle today has no place in the hearts of the people, especially the Malays?

“BN has lost its fangs, which may have been blunted for a long time due to the moral problems of its leaders and the direction of the party’s struggle.”

It said BN should have used the results in GE15, where it won 30 of the 221 seats on offer, to reflect on how it could improve itself.

Instead, PAS claimed, BN had become even more “intoxicated with power” and self-absorbed.

“The people will not humiliate themselves with such leaders and coalitions,” said the statement.

It added that if BN and its lynchpin Umno did not change, the coalition would continue to play second fiddle to PH.

Last month’s general election ended in a hung Parliament for the first time in Malaysia’s history, with PH winning 82 seats and PN securing 73 seats.

PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin said that while the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had asked PN and PH to come together to form the government, PN turned this down as it was firm in its stance not to work with PH.

After a meeting with the Council of Malay Rulers, the King then appointed PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim to lead a unity government that included BN and the ruling coalitions in Sabah and Sarawak – Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Gabungan Parti Sarawak.

It also has the support of MPs from Muda, Warisan, Parti Bangsa Malaysia, Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat, and two independents – which Anwar says gives his government a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat. - FMT