PH-BN worries race, religious rhetoric will affect chances at polls

 

A party insider acknowledges that PH and BN may lose their supermajority in the Selangor assembly.

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional are worried that race and religious rhetoric may swing fence sitters among Malay voters in Perikatan Nasional’s favour.

A PKR leader told FMT that Malay support for the ruling federal administration and opposition is presently split down the middle, based on the membership and support data of all parties within the three coalitions.

“Right now, our intelligence shows that 25% of the Malay support is with PH and BN. Another 25% is with PAS and Bersatu,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity..

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“The other 50% are fence sitters, but we fear that race and religious propaganda can swing the support of this group towards PN.

“Our worry is that PN will increase their rhetoric at the tail end of the contest.”

He said it does not help that many Umno members and supporters, disillusioned with the leadership of their own party, are increasingly buying into PN’s rhetoric.

In the case of Selangor, the insider admits that there is a strong chance that the PH-BN alliance will lose its 45-seat supermajority in the 56-seat state assembly, although it is likely to retain its position as the ruling coalition.

Earlier FMT reports suggested that Umno may have lost up to 40% of its grassroot support in Kedah following party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s political machinations, which have seen several leaders, including Khairy Jamaluddin ousted, while others, such as Shahril Hamdan, have been suspended.

In his podcast “Keluar Sekejap” last week, Khairy predicted that 50% of Umno’s grassroots nationwide will throw their support behind PN.

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Last week, Prime Minister and PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim called on PAS to cease peddling outdated narratives, including claims that Malays were not in control of the federal government.

He was responding to comments made by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang suggesting that PH was unfit to govern as the coalition is dominated by non-Muslims.

Hadi also claimed the unity government was weak as it was not led by a Malay-Muslim party.

In January, PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli attributed PAS’ biggest-ever victory in the 15th general election (GE15) last year to its racist rhetoric that the non-Malays were set to take over the country.

PN took 74 seats in GE15, with PAS winning 49, the highest number by any single party at the polls.

Elections in six states – Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu – are expected to be held by July. - FMT