ELECTION candidates from the Pakatan Harapan (PH) would have a better chance in Kelantan and Terengganu if they competed under the Barisan Nasional (BN) flag, said a political analyst.
According to Prof Dr Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara, BN’s distinctive “dacing” (scales) symbol is more popular to voters in the two states and will make a substantial impact in courting the Malay electorate.
“This is because PH is associated with DAP and there is a stigma surrounding that party among voters in those states. So, using the BN logo would make a lot of difference,” he was reported as saying to FMT.
Despite the loss of prominent east coast leaders like Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, Datuk Seri Annuar Musa, Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz, and Datuk Rosol Wahid, Azmi said UMNO remains capable of appealing to voters there.
On Thursday (April 27), Ketereh Amanah chief Che Ibrahim Mohamed had proposed that PH campaign under the BN logo.
He asserted that the PH symbol did not receive widespread support in the two states, and that using a single election symbol would symbolise the two coalitions’ unity and collaboration.
Azmi claimed that the recent squabble between two DAP and UMNO politicians offered UMNO an advantage.
“Their bickering in public shows voters that UMNO is willing to stand up to DAP despite both being partners in the unity government. It is a strategic move,” Azmi said.
The beef was between UMNO’s Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed and DAP’s Aziz Bari, who questioned UMNO’s status among Malays following Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) strong performance in the 15th General Election (GE15).
In response, Nur Jazlan stated that UMNO’s connection to DAP in the unity government made restoring Malay support challenging.
Meanwhile, Dr Azmil Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia concurred that utilising the BN logo by PH was an excellent idea because the UMNO-led coalition had a greater influence among voters in Kelantan and Terengganu than PH.
He went on to say that BN and PAS had been battling for Kelantan and Terengganu for decades.
“BN’s logo certainly has a strong presence and attachment among the people in these Malay heartlands. Using the BN logo might make it palatable for those who don’t want to vote for PN-PAS,” he said.
Elections to the state assemblies of Kedah, Penang, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kelantan, and Terengganu are expected to be held in July. – May 1, 2023
