‘Big brother’ attitude led to wipeout, says Terengganu PH chief

 

Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah said an inclusive attitude that respects one another needs to be fostered within the BN-PH coalition in Terengganu.

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional could have prevented a clean sweep by Perikatan Nasional in Terengganu if not for the “big brother” attitude which dominated seat negotiations, says state PH chief Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah.

PAS won all the 32 seats in yesterday’s Terengganu state elections, after it managed to also make a clean sweep of all eight parliamentary seats in the state at last November’s general election (GE15).

In yesterday’s polls, BN contested 27 seats and PH five (three involving candidates from PKR and the other two from Amanah).

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Raja Kamarul said that during seat negotiations with BN, it was acknowledged that PH’s strengths lie in urban-voter areas that also encompass mixed constituencies.

However, he said, mixed seats such as the urban constituencies of Bandar (Kuala Terengganu) and Chukai (Kemaman) were not allocated to PH component parties like Amanah or PKR.

“This was a big mistake, and we missed the opportunity to win such seats where PH has an advantage,” he said in a statement today.

“I wasn’t particularly surprised by the election results in Terengganu, but I am deeply disappointed.”

He said the best example of successful candidate selection was in the urban and mixed seat of Kota Lama in Kelantan, which Amanah’s Dr Hafidzah Mustakim won for PH despite Kelantan being dominated by PAS for over 30 years.

“For a successful strategy, it is important to set aside the dominant ‘big brother’ attitude and be open to recognising the strengths of newer or smaller coalition partners,” he said.

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“An inclusive attitude that respects one another, rather than a ‘big brother’ mentality, needs to be fostered within the BN-PH coalition in Terengganu.”

Terengganu, considered a swing state, had been held by BN until the 2018 general election, when PAS won power.

Among the BN candidates defeated yesterday were two former menteris besar – Ahmad Said, who lost to Bersatu’s Razali Idris with a 3,758-vote majority, and Ahmad Razif, who was beaten by PAS’s Khazan Che Mat with a 2,797-vote majority.

Bersatu contested under the PAS banner in Terengganu and Kelantan. - FMT