BENTONG: Barisan Nasional needs to win the Pelangai state by-election in order to build confidence for the 16th General Election (GE16), according to Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (pic).
Mohamad stated that a victory in Pelangai would boost the morale of Barisan Nasional members and give hope to the coalition after its disappointing performance in GE15.
“Let this by-election be our resurgence. We must not become complacent; our machinery must work hard to secure victory because we are still not strong, having faced defeat in GE15.
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“Although GE16 is still far away, this Pelangai by-election serves as a starting point for us to prepare for the actual battle.
“Nevertheless, we cannot use this victory as a measure of our ability and strength because we are currently in the phase of ensuring the survival of our party.
“We are not yet strong enough and we still need political partners,” he told reporters after attending a program at Felda Chemomoi on Wednesday (Sept 27) night.
Also present were Pahang Umno liaison chairman Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and the Barisan candidate for Pelangai, Datuk Amizar Abu Adam.
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Mohamad mentioned that Umno can only evaluate its strength after GE16, which is scheduled for 2027.
“Currently, our focus is on winning any by-election, including this one in Pelangai, and I am confident that we can win and even secure a larger majority than in GE15,” he added.
The by-election was called following the death of its representative, Datuk Seri Johari Harun, 53, who died in a plane crash in Shah Alam, Selangor on Aug 17.
The race for the seat will be contested among Amizar, Kasim Samat of Perikatan Nasional, and independent candidate Haslihelmy DM Zulhasni.
Polling for the by-election will take place on Oct 7.
In GE15, Johari won the seat with a majority of 4,048 votes in a four-cornered fight that included Perikatan, Pakatan Harapan, and Pejuang.
Meanwhile, when asked about Umno veteran Abdul Rahman Bakar’s call for an immediate overhaul of the party’s leadership in Terengganu after suffering heavy defeats in GE15 and in the Aug 12 state election, Mohamad stated that the matter will be discussed by the party after the Pelangai by-election. – Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
