BARISAN Nasional (BN) is counting on the support of UMNO members in the Sungai Bakap state constituency in Penang to create a significant upset against the opposition in the upcoming July 6 by-election, according to its chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Zahid, who also serves as UMNO president, noted the coalition’s intensified efforts to ensure that the majority of the 5,105 UMNO members in the constituency cast their votes for the unity government candidate.
He stated that BN’s strategy involves not only securing Malay voters but also reaching out to other ethnic groups with the help of coalition partners MCA, MIC, and friends of BN.
“Our focus is on UMNO voters while also aiming to attract the support from Malay voters (who are fence sitters).
“We are maximising our efforts in our bid to secure a large number of votes for the unity government candidate in the by-election.”
Moreover, the unity government has nominated former teacher Dr Joohari Ariffin as its candidate for the Sungai Bakap by-election. This election follows the death of its assemblyman Nor Zamri Latiff of PAS on May 24.
Furthermore, the Election Commission set June 22 as the nomination day for the by-election with early voting scheduled for July 2. The constituency has 39,279 eligible voters, including 57 police personnel.
In the Penang state election last August, Nor Zamri won the Sungai Bakap seat by polling 15,433 votes against Pakatan Harapan’s Nurhidayah Che Rose, who received 13,870 votes. – June 21, 2024
