Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said voter sentiments, especially in Malay heartlands, are still with Barisan Nasional (BN) and Muafakat Nasional (MN).
He said that the landslide victory in Chini state assembly by-election last week showed how voters are still familiar with the BN logo used by the winner Mohd Sharin Md Zain.
However, Najib agreed that being a part of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government had also contributed to the victory.
“For example in Chini, Umno received 60 per cent of the support and PAS 30 per cent, we already have 90 percent of votes there.
“We have the numbers, that is the basic but I won’t deny that with the PN government, we could settle many issues.
“MN has the compatibility of the voters in the Malay Heartland, that is the truth that could not be cast aside.
“PN is still new. The voters are still questioning whether it is a good fit for BN and MN,” he told a special interview posted live on The Malaysia Gazette Facebook last night.
Mohd Sharim won by a majority of 12,650 votes, having garnered 13,872 votes, beating two independent candidates, Tengku Datuk Zainul Hisham Tengku Hussin, 64, who obtained 1,222 votes, and Mohd Shukri Mohd Ramli, 49, with only 137 votes as anticipated by Najib who acted as the elections director.
Mohd Sharim, a second-generation Felda Chini 3, also managed to increase the majority obtained by incumbent Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Harun who garnered 10,027 votes (4,622 majority) in the 14th general election (14th general election). – MMO