PETALING JAYA: Umno should not assume that Barisan Nasional’s landslide victory in the Johor state election means the coalition’s brand has been fully restored, says PAS MP Syahir Sulaiman.
The Bachok MP said the shift towards BN appeared to be temporary, partly driven by voters rejecting Pakatan Harapan as well as Perikatan Nasional’s failure to position itself as a viable alternative.
“Umno would be mistaken to assume that the BN brand has once again been accepted by the people.
“The shift in support towards BN in Johor was merely temporary in nature because the people wanted to reject DAP-PH, while PN was unable to position itself as an alternative,” he said in a Facebook post.
Syahir also pointed out that PAS had urged its members and supporters to vote for BN in seats not contested by PN.
He said BN also benefited from having Onn Hafiz Ghazi as its election poster boy, describing him as a humble, clean and popular figure in the eyes of Johor voters.
“The question is whether BN can offer the same package at the federal level in the next general election (GE16),” he added.
Syahir acknowledged that the result gives BN greater bargaining power ahead of GE16, but said the coalition stills need to prove that its support extends beyond Johor.
BN won 48 seats in yesterday’s Johor state election, while PH secured the remaining eight. PN failed to win any seat, losing the three it won in 2022.
