With Najib’s giveaways, BN must win big in Hulu Selangor
Anything less than a 3,000-vote majority, ironically predicted by independent Pasir Mas MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali, will be a slap in the face for Najib and BN.
The Malaysian Insider
Barisan Nasional (BN) must win big in tomorrow’s Hulu Selangor by-election to justify Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s personal involvement in what he has called a referendum of his year-long administration.
In an unprecedented move, the prime minister himself has led the campaign to ensure MIC information chief, P. Kamalanathan, defeats PKR’s Datuk Zaid Ibrahim when night falls on Hulu Selangor tomorrow.
BN lost the seat for the first time in its electoral history by a razor-thin 198 votes in Election 2008, which saw the ruling federal coalition humbled in four states and 81 other federal seats.
BN has consistently won the seat with at least 8,500 votes majority since 1990, when Datuk G. Palanivel began the first of his four terms in the constituency the size of Malacca.
For the current campaign, BN has given close to RM60 million in a combination of projects and cash awards to win over the majority of the 64,500 voters in the traditionally pro-BN constituency, which comprises three state seats won by BN in Election 2008.
Anything less than a 3,000-vote majority, ironically predicted by independent Pasir Mas MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali, will be a slap in the face for Najib and BN.
Having thrown in everything but the kitchen sink, Najib paid a second visit to Hulu Selangor yesterday where he handed RM50,000 each to 100 former Felda settlers from the Sungai Buaya settlement.
“Some people call these election goodies, but let me assure you that all promises made here will be fulfilled,” he said at a gathering with the Malay villagers.
The prime minister added that each settler would receive RM160,000 per acre once their abandoned agricultural land is developed. It is understood they only received an initial RM1,000 and will be paid the rest later.
The Felda settlers and Malay villagers form 53 per cent of the electorate and are crucial to BN’s chances of winning the seat and inching its way back to a two-thirds parliamentary majority.
A peek into Hulu Selangor’s electoral past proves the point that BN needs the Malay vote to win despite fielding an MIC candidate against opponents who were invariably Malays.
