Letter – Factors in BN’s thumping Johor victory – J.D. Lovrenciear

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THREE factors explain the thumping victory for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the Johor election. One must eat humble pie to concur.

First, it echoes how the people’s frustrations and disappointments over Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad have not dissipated. The unprecedented victory in 2018 for Pakatan Harapan that saw the fall of the goliath BN after six decades was vaporised hardly 22 months post-GE14.

The public still harbours the pain and holds Dr Mahathir responsible for the disintegration of the new coalition government. The sense of betrayal cuts a deep wound.

To show their spite for his betrayal perhaps is one reason why the people came in droves to cheer Datuk Seri Najib Razak on the campaign trail, as Dr Mahathir has himself consistently blared that he is gunning for Najib.

Second, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has failed to position himself as being still the formidable leader that he was at the time when he went to prison. That failure can be garnered from three aspects.

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