KOTA BARU: Barisan Nasional’s victory in the Ayer Kuning by-election in Perak yesterday is proof of the continuous confidence and trust the people have in the unity government’s ability to safeguard welfare and drive the country’s development, said Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
The Umno vice-president, who is also the Plantation and Commodities Minister, cited the example of BN‘s ability to win a polling district in the by-election, a district the coalition had never won in the past eight elections.
“I’ve noticed a few areas, such as one polling district in Kampung Coldstream, which has about 1,700 voters, but only four of them are from the Malay community.
“BN had never won there in the past eight elections, but now we have won, with around 600 or 700 votes.
“This victory shows that, no matter what people are saying, the unity government still commands the trust of the people, who in turn vote for us,” he told reporters here today.
The Titiwangsa Member of Parliament noted that some quarters still doubted the unity government’s ability to meet their aspirations, as the government is less than three years old.
“However, when they have doubts about (the ability of) the government, it becomes our responsibility to convince the people, regardless of our political differences,” he added.
Johari said the most important factor for the nation’s progress is political stability.
“What’s the use of having a government if the prime minister changes three times?”
“It’s not just that we feel unstable, but observers (foreign investors) will also perceive us as lacking stability, making it harder to convince them that Malaysia is a country worth investing in for the long term.
“As such, this is a process, and we will go through it. Adjustments within the party are normal, as the opposition does the same.’
BN through its candidate Dr Mohamad Yusri Bakir, defeated two other contenders when he secured a majority votes of 5,006 votes to retain the state seat in Perak.
Yusri garnered 11,065 votes while Abd Muhaimin Malek of Perikatan Nasional with 6,059 votes and Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s K.S Bawani with 1,106 votes.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
