FMT:
Negeri Sembilan may remain the only PN-free state
Perikatan Nasional failed to win a single parliamentary seat there at the 2022 general election.
Perikatan Nasional is likely to try to win 22 seats when the state assembly elections are held later this year. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Negeri Sembilan could well remain the only state which Perikatan Nasional has failed to penetrate, should voting trends in the 2022 general election continue.
While PN leaders have spoken of their desire to capture the state from Pakatan Harapan at the coming state assembly election, the task might be easier said than done.
PN made major inroads in the parliamentary general election in November, winning seats even in Sabah and Sarawak, but the coalition failed to win a parliamentary seat in Negeri Sembilan.
The surge of Malay support for PN saw it win 74 seats in the Dewan Rakyat and make inroads into Malay areas previously controlled by Umno, PKR and Amanah.
In seats where it lost, PN came in second, while also winning the majority of votes from first-time voters compared to BN and PH.
But in all but one of Negeri Sembilan’s eight parliamentary seats, PN came third in terms of vote share behind either BN or PH.
PM candidate factor
Negeri Sembilan PN chief Eddin Syazlee Shith said he believed BN did well in the state because many voters believed there was a possibility of Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, commonly known as Tok Mat, becoming prime minister.
“There was this message that had gone around that if Negeri Sembilan voters choose BN, the next prime minister could come from the state,” the Bersatu leader told FMT.
This time, the PM factor would not apply as voters would have different considerations when voting in a state election, he said.
Tough to sway BN voters
Even without the ‘Tok Mat as PM’ factor, PN has to win far more Malay votes in Negeri Sembilan compared to Selangor or Penang, where its component party PAS holds state seats and has substantial grassroots support.
To take over Negeri Sembilan, PN has to win 19 out of 36 state seats. The coalition is likely to be banking on winning 22 seats where Malays make up more than 60% of voters.
Of those 22, 16 are in five BN-held parliamentary constituencies – Jelebu, Jempol, Kuala Pilah, Rembau and Tampin. In these constituencies, PH came in second.
In Tampin, BN and PH garnered 23,283 and 22,007 votes cast respectively while PN trailed behind at 14,962. In Kuala Pilah, PN’s Eddin only managed to garner 11,560 votes while BN and PH candidates won 21,423 and 14,940 votes respectively.
In Jempol, BN polled 30,138 votes, nearly double the 16,722 votes PN got. PH won 24,281 votes.
With PH and BN now set to work together in the state elections, PN will need to sway a major chunk of votes away from their rivals to stand a chance of winning.
Eddin said he believes this is not impossible as sentiments have turned against BN and PH over the government’s inability to tackle economic hardships.
But Faiz Fadzil, who was PH’s candidate in Tampin, believes BN supporters in the state will not be easily swayed by PN.
He said BN supporters have seen how well its leaders have worked with PH, including the stability of the government and the absence of infighting unlike when the coalition was working with PN.
“They can judge for themselves whether it is better to be with PH or PN. I am confident Umno supporters will make the right decision,” said Faiz.
PETALING JAYA: Negeri Sembilan could well remain the only state which Perikatan Nasional has failed to penetrate, should voting trends in the 2022 general election continue.
While PN leaders have spoken of their desire to capture the state from Pakatan Harapan at the coming state assembly election, the task might be easier said than done.
PN made major inroads in the parliamentary general election in November, winning seats even in Sabah and Sarawak, but the coalition failed to win a parliamentary seat in Negeri Sembilan.
The surge of Malay support for PN saw it win 74 seats in the Dewan Rakyat and make inroads into Malay areas previously controlled by Umno, PKR and Amanah.
In seats where it lost, PN came in second, while also winning the majority of votes from first-time voters compared to BN and PH.
But in all but one of Negeri Sembilan’s eight parliamentary seats, PN came third in terms of vote share behind either BN or PH.
PM candidate factor
Negeri Sembilan PN chief Eddin Syazlee Shith said he believed BN did well in the state because many voters believed there was a possibility of Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, commonly known as Tok Mat, becoming prime minister.
“There was this message that had gone around that if Negeri Sembilan voters choose BN, the next prime minister could come from the state,” the Bersatu leader told FMT.
This time, the PM factor would not apply as voters would have different considerations when voting in a state election, he said.
Tough to sway BN voters
Even without the ‘Tok Mat as PM’ factor, PN has to win far more Malay votes in Negeri Sembilan compared to Selangor or Penang, where its component party PAS holds state seats and has substantial grassroots support.
To take over Negeri Sembilan, PN has to win 19 out of 36 state seats. The coalition is likely to be banking on winning 22 seats where Malays make up more than 60% of voters.
Of those 22, 16 are in five BN-held parliamentary constituencies – Jelebu, Jempol, Kuala Pilah, Rembau and Tampin. In these constituencies, PH came in second.
In Tampin, BN and PH garnered 23,283 and 22,007 votes cast respectively while PN trailed behind at 14,962. In Kuala Pilah, PN’s Eddin only managed to garner 11,560 votes while BN and PH candidates won 21,423 and 14,940 votes respectively.
In Jempol, BN polled 30,138 votes, nearly double the 16,722 votes PN got. PH won 24,281 votes.
With PH and BN now set to work together in the state elections, PN will need to sway a major chunk of votes away from their rivals to stand a chance of winning.
Eddin said he believes this is not impossible as sentiments have turned against BN and PH over the government’s inability to tackle economic hardships.
But Faiz Fadzil, who was PH’s candidate in Tampin, believes BN supporters in the state will not be easily swayed by PN.
He said BN supporters have seen how well its leaders have worked with PH, including the stability of the government and the absence of infighting unlike when the coalition was working with PN.
“They can judge for themselves whether it is better to be with PH or PN. I am confident Umno supporters will make the right decision,” said Faiz.
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