Independent body to do post-mortem on results

(The Star) – Barisan Nasional will appoint an independent body to carry out a post-mortem on its defeats in the Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau by-elections.

Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he would propose to party president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak that the post-mortem to be carried out not by Barisan but by an independent body.

He also said the results were not an indication that the people had rejected the country’s new leadership.

He said the new leadership factor was still very new and had yet to sink in peoples’ mind.

“The new leadership has started carrying out its responsibility,” he told a press conference last night after official results of the Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau by-elections were announced,

“Maybe, the people are still undecided, so we will have to work harder to convince them,” he said.

Muhyiddin said they hoped to find out the real reasons for Barisan’s defeat.

“We want to know whether it is because of our election machinery or if there are other issues that are causing us to lose despite our hard work,” he said.

When it was pointed out that having the by-elections too close to the recently concluded Umno elections could have played a part in Barisan’s loss, Muhyiddin said it was a non-issue as Barisan always respected the decision of the Election Commission.

He also congratulated PAS and PKR whose candidates won in Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau, respectively.

On the Batang Ai by-election, which Barisan won, Muhyiddin said he was gratified by the support shown by the voters there.

“This is a rural area. Looks like Barisan is still strong in rural areas,” he added.