KUALA LUMPUR: A top Umno leader claimed that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is believed to be anxious over the growing public support for the cooperation between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH), which has led the latter to claim that a merger between BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN) is already in the works.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the rising public support had been demonstrated by three consecutive by-election victories secured by candidates from the unity government, the latest being for the Ayer Kuning state seat in Perak yesterday.
“Tan Sri (Muhyiddin Yassin) and PN are more worried about the BN-PH cooperation being accepted by the public, as demonstrated through (the record of victories in) the by-elections.
“The three by-elections in the Nenggiri (Kelantan), Mahkota (Johor) and Ayer Kuning state seats have shown a rise in confidence among Umno members and Malays, who also vote for Umno.
“It reflects growing confidence in the cooperation yielding national stability and prosperity for the people,” he said when contacted.
Yesterday, Muhyiddin, also PN chairman, sarcastically dismissed Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s statement that a BN-PN merger was ‘a daydream’ as mere political denial.
Instead, Muhyiddin, who is also the Pagoh member of parliament and Bersatu president, insisted that the merger between BN and PN was not a daydream but had, in fact, already taken place.
Meanwhile, Asyraf cited the success of the unity government’s cooperation in the Ayer Kuning by-election, where BN successfully defended the seat through its candidate, Dr Mohamad Yusri Bakir.
He added that the sharp rise in votes from young voters also proved that they were no longer willing to accept the politics of provocation, insults, hatred and racism that PN had consistently used in its election campaigns.
“It is clear that young people are becoming more mature and increasingly disgusted with such politics,” he said.
He said the significant victory margins seen in the by-elections were the result of combined support from BN’s traditional voter base and PH supporters.
He said in Mahkota and Ayer Kuning, for instance, all polling districts with a Chinese majority, where BN had lost in three previous elections, were won with large majorities, contributing significantly to the overall victories.
“Malay-majority polling districts also saw a sharp increase in Malay votes, allowing BN to reclaim nearly all of them,” he added.
In the by-election, Yusri defeated PN’s Abdul Muhaimin Malek and Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s K.S Bawani in a three-cornered contest.
Yusri, who is Tapah Umno secretary, garnered 11,065 votes, while Muhaimin with 6,059 votes and Bawani with 1,106 votes.
The by-election was called after the death of Umno’s Ishsam Shahruddin, who passed away from a heart attack on Feb 22.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
