PN’s Padang Serai win not a rebuke against unity govt, says analyst

 

PN candidate Azman Nasrudin, flanked by Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor (right) and Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP Roslan Hashim, after his victory in the Padang Serai parliamentary election on Wednesday.

PETALING JAYA: A political analyst has dismissed the claim by Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin that the coalition’s massive win in Padang Serai and slim loss in Tioman are indicative of the voters’ distrust in the unity government.

Azmil Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia said it was hard to say if the two election results were a rebuke against the government as it had just been formed.

“I think the results are just a continuation of the voting trend we saw in this (general) election where most of the Malay majority areas went to PN,” he told FMT.

PN won 73 seats in GE15.

Azmil Tayeb.

Asked whether PH-BN would have won in Padang Serai if BN’s candidate C Sivaraj had been allowed to contest, Azmil said it would not have made any difference as PN’s tide in the northern region “is too strong for a single personality to resist”.

On the possible outcome of the Kedah state election next year, he said it would depend on the timing.

“If it is held soon, then we will see a similar PN tide at the state level,” he said.

He said PH and BN should collaborate in the state elections to counter PN’s massive gains, as it would prevent multi-cornered contests in Malay majority seats. Both parties could base their campaign on the government’s first 100 days’ achievements.

James Chin.

James Chin of the University of Tasmania echoed Azmil’s sentiments that both coalitions should work together in the state elections, arguing that it would be “madness” if they clashed after forming a federal government together.

Chin also said PN’s victory in Padang Serai was expected as Kedah was one of PAS’ core bases, adding that nothing would have changed for PH-BN even if Sivaraj had contested against PN.

On next year’s Kedah state election, he said it was difficult to predict the outcome as it would depend on the Malay voters’ acceptance of the unity government led by Anwar Ibrahim.

“The deciding factor is whether the Malays are happy with Anwar’s government. If they are not happy, then the only choice they have is PN,” he said.

PN candidate Azman Nasrudin won the Padang Serai seat with a16,260-vote majority over PH’s Sofee Razak. The seat had been PKR’s stronghold for 14 years.

In Tioman, BN’s Johari Hussain won with a slim majority of 573 votes in a five-cornered contest. - FMT