Guan Eng: PR has only 40% chance of winning Bagan Pinang

(The Star) – Pakatan Rakyat has only a 40% chance of winning the Bagan Pinang state seat in Negri Sembilan because of the large number of postal voters.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said of the 14,000 voters in the constituency, 5,700 of them were postal voters.

He said the postal voters who are policemen and soldiers always voted en bloc for the Barisan Nasional.

“Though our chances of winning is only 40% Pakatan will not give up and will try its best,” he told newsmen after attending a party workshop here Sunday.

Lim, who is Penang Chief Minister, said Barisan already had a voter-bank with the postal votes.

The seat fell vacant after its assemblyman Azman Mohammad Noor died on Friday.

Azman had defeated PAS’ Ramli Ismail with a majority of 2,333 votes in the general election last year. He polled 6,430 votes to Ramli’s 4,097.

Lim said it was an uphill battle against the Barisan as Bagan Pinang is an Umno area.

“Nevertheless, we want to try the same formula used in the recent Permatang Pasir by-election in Penang, that is to explore the concept of the people’s government.

“The parties in Pakatan need to fight the Barisan as a team. Our battle is to fight corruption and money politics.

“This we have proven in Penang after winning three by-elections one after another with higher majorities. People have confidence in us,” he claimed.