Isa’s Victory Shows BN Still Relevant, Say Umno Leaders
(Bernama) — Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad’s victory in the Bagan Pinang by-election by a 5,435-vote majority, defeating PAS candidate Zulkefly Mohamad Omar, shows that the people still accept the Barisan Nasional (BN).
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said among the factors that contributed to BN’s win were the personality and leadership of the former Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar which endeared him to the constituents.
Hishammuddin, who is also Home Minister, said the win also proved that the voters in the area did not forget the services and contributions of Mohd Isa, who is also the Teluk Kemang Umno division chief.
“Their support has been translated into votes although various allegations were thrown at him until polling day,” he told reporters after the announcement of the by-election result.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said the bigger majority-win indicated that Isa and BN were accepted by the multiracial voters in the constituency.
He said the victory was made even more meaningful with the good non-Malay support, especially from the Indian voters, with all the ballot boxes favouring BN.
Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil regarded BN’s victory in Bagan Pinang as a victory for the people who wanted peace and stability in the country.
“I see the voters have given a clear message that they want a return of stability and harmony in the country,” said Shahrizat, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister.
She said the victory was also made possible by the effectiveness of the BN’s by-election machinery in getting close to the people in the area.
Meanwhile, Puteri Umno head Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin hoped the BN leadership would maintain the victorious momentum in Bagan Pinang for BN to perform better in the future.
She said BN should not be complacent after the win, but instead be spurred to work harder to secure victory in the next general election.
“This is to ensure that BN will continue to be accepted and supported by the people who are seen to have more confidence with the changes taking place in BN,” she said when contacted.
In PADANG, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Isa’s triumph with a bigger majority proved wrong the claim by certain quarters that Umno was no longer relevant.
He said if Umno and BN continued to be consistent in addressing its weaknesses, it was not impossible for the people to give back their support to the party and coalition.
“It is clear that when Tan Sri Isa who was also the favourite candidate in the by-election was selected to contest, he was able to pull in the votes for Umno and BN,” he said while on a Malaysian aid mission in earthquake-hit Padang, Indonesia Sunday.
Ahmad Zahid said the by-election also showed democracy in practice in the country where there were postal voters or soldiers in Bagan Pinang who gave their votes to the opposition.
“If the opposition alleged that the ballot papers for the postal voters had been marked by their superiors, this is not true as the Election Commission and Defence Ministry had allowed each candidate’s representatives to witness the voting and the ballot papers taken out from the postal bags,” he said.
