KEDAH’S caretaker Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Noor has poured cold water on a Pakatan Harapan (PH) leader’s claim that PH and Barisan Nasional could wrest back the state from Perikatan Nasional (PN) with a 10% “swing” of votes in the forthcoming state polls.
Sanusi pointed out that the likelihood of Kedah falling to PH and BN is slim, and that achieving a 10% vote swing in favour of PH would be difficult since Malays voters would continue to support PN.
“A vote swing of 10% is difficult in politics, especially given the voting patterns in Kedah and the Malay voters are not easy to sway.
“It’s okay, they (PH) can continue to dream,” Berita Harian quoted the PAS lawmaker as telling reporters after attending an event in Langkawi last night (July 3).
The incumbent Jeneri assemblyman was reacting to Kedah PH chief Dauk Mahfuz Omar’s remark that a 10% “swing” of votes at the upcoming Kedah state elections is enough to put PH and BN in power.
The former Pokok Sena MP said the overall amount of votes cast for BN and PH in the 15th General Election (GE15) could make it possible for the alliance to take power in Kedah.
“We need to get (back) the votes that went away from BN and PH, which is only around 6% to 7%,” he said, adding that if the swing went up to 10%, then PH-BN could very well form the next state government.
Kedah has 36 seats prior to the dissolution of the Kedah State Legislative Assembly which saw PN have 20 seats (PAS-14, Bersatu-6); PH controls 10 seats (PKR-5, Amanah-3, DAP-2); BN won two seats (UMNO-2) and Pejuang with 2 seats.
Two state seats were left vacant after Gurun assemblyman Tan Sri Johari Abdul of PKR vacated his seat on Dec 18 last year when he was appointed Dewan Rakyat speaker and the death of Belantek assemblyman Datuk Mohd Isa Shafie on June 14 this year.
On June 28, the Kedah state assembly was dissolved, and elections must be held within 60 days of the dissolution.
Kelantan and Terengganu, the other two PN-controlled states, dissolved their state assemblies on June 22 and June 28, respectively. – July 4, 2023
