Malaysia GE 15

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GE15: will Zahid’s politicking bring Umno to its knees?

IPOH – Defunct opposition pact Pakatan Rakyat’s – now Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) – war chant of the 2008 general election – “Anything But Umno/Asalkan Bukan Umno” – has made an unexpected comeback in the battlefields of the 15th general election.

However, this time, it is not the rallying cry for any coalition but it seems to be the general sentiment on the ground among voters in northern Peninsular Malaysia and some other parts of the country.

Anger towards Zahid and co

Public anger is not so much directed at Umno as a party but towards many leaders such as president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and those in his faction who have practically forced this election down people’s throats, after a series of by-elections and state elections.

A large segment of the public is suffering political fatigue and may decide to punish Umno for triggering an early election during the monsoon season, when floods have hit some parts of Malaysia. The 14th parliamentary term was only due to end in July 2023 and the general election has to be held before September 16.

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Subang voters happy with Wong Chen, likely to back him again

PETALING JAYA: The Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for Subang, Wong Chen has received a nod of approval from constituents, who say they are likely to vote for him again at the general election (GE15).

A housewife, who gave her name as Liew, said she was grateful to Wong for his contributions to USJ1, specifically in reinstating the government health clinic here.

“He worked with health minister Khairy Jamaluddin and revived a project that was cancelled. This is good news for the ageing population in the area who can’t travel far to other government hospitals or clinics,” she said.

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GE15: ex-Umno minister Anifah Aman backs Anwar as PM

PUTATAN – Former foreign minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman has given his thumbs-up to Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the next prime minister.

Anifah, who leads Parti Cinta Sabah after exiting Barisan Nasional (BN) linchpin Umno in 2018, had intentions of joining the coalition’s state partner Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) .

But he was seen tonight attending a PH function here, showing his support for Anwar becoming prime minister should the coalition win the 15th general election (GE15).

“I came here today to show my support to Anwar. This is the last chance for us to vote for Anwar to be the prime minister.

“I have decided not to contest the Kimanis seat because I want to help support all of PKR’s candidates. I want to make sure Anwar becomes prime minister,” he said in his 15-minute speech.

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Forget surveys, no party sitting pretty for GE15, says Johor BN chief

SIMPANG RENGGAM: There is no party or coalition in a comfortable position in the lead-up to the general election (GE15) despite various surveys on voters’ sentiment, says Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Hasni Mohammad.

Hasni, the former Johor menteri besar, said he expected even more surveys to be conducted by the various parties in contention right up to polling day on Nov 19.

“I think, until Nov 19, no party will be in a comfortable position to win the general election,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.

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GE15: Pakatan has unfinished business in govt, says Dzulkefly

KUALA SELANGOR – Rivals may mock Pakatan Harapan (PH) for supposedly being a failed government of 22 months, but for Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, that span of less than two years has given voters a glimpse of what the coalition can offer in a full term.

“Oh, please. Just look at our track record,” the PH candidate for Kuala Selangor told The Vibes here yesterday, when met during his campaign trail.

“In 22 months, we delivered about 60% of what we promised in our manifesto. You give us 60 months, we would have done more than 100%.”

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GE15: axeing warlords necessary for Umno to make change, says youth chief

IPOH – The move by Umno to axe several warlords in the 15th general election and field new and younger candidates is necessary to avoid repeating the results of the 14th general election, said party Youth chief Datuk Seri Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.

Defending the decision by his party president, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to remove several key stalwarts and incumbent lawmakers, Asyraf said this strategy was effective in the Johor and Melaka elections, where they fielded 87% and 79% new candidates respectively, and had landslide victories.

“People are expecting Umno to change now. It will be difficult for us to change later.

“That is why there is a balance of 70% new faces, with the rest being experienced leaders, but the feedback we received on the ground has been positive,” he said in a recent interview during one of his walkabouts in Gerik.

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GE15: BN likely to form govt, but PH may win more seats, says pollster

KUALA LUMPUR – Barisan Nasional (BN) and its allies are expected to form the government after the upcoming general elections (GE15), though Pakatan Harapan (PH) will likely win more seats in the polls, a pollster has predicted.

According to the Endeavour-MGC Research Centre, PH is projected to win between 67 and 82 seats, and BN is tipped to secure between 58 and 73 constituencies, while Perikatan Nasional (PN) will likely come in third with between 10 and 40 seats.

“Where exactly the final seat tally falls for each political coalition will depend on individual high-profile candidates battling in certain seats – these contests are expected to impact national voter preference trends, and change seats from safe to marginal, e.g. Tambun, Bagan Datuk, Sg Buloh, Muar, Langkawi, and others,” the centre said in a report released yesterday.

The report by the centre was based on a survey carried out between October 8 and 20, which polled 1,068 registered voters from all parliamentary constituencies in the peninsula.

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Anifah’s support a shot in the arm for Sabah PH, say analysts

KOTA KINABALU: The presence of former foreign minister Anifah Aman at a PKR event and his open support for Anwar Ibrahim to be prime minister is a major boost for Pakatan Harapan’s campaign in Sabah, according to analysts.

Anifah’s presence at the PKR event in Putatan on Saturday night could help drum up support for the Peninsula-based party in Sabah, the analysts said.

Sabah Universiti Teknologi Mara senior lecturer Tony Paridi Bagang said Anifah seemed to have been well-received by PKR supporters.

“This is something interesting and unexpected. The crowd looked like they were encouraged by Anifah’s presence.

“It seems that Anifah’s open support for PKR chairman Anwar’s bid to be the prime minister helped motivate the PH supporters here and indirectly added value to the coalition’s campaign,” he told FMT.

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Mat Sabu won’t have it easy this time, warns GTA man

PETALING JAYA: Without hot issues to exploit, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu will not have an easy ride in the contest for the Kota Raja seat, according to the Gerakan Tanah Air candidate, Fahmi Bazlan.

Mohamad’s 71,142-majority in the 2018 elections might send a chill down the spine of any rival but Fahmi said the sentiments on the ground sent a different message.

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GE15: PKR a happy family after Azmin left, claims Wong Chen

PETALING JAYA – PKR is in a much “happier” position now that former deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali is no longer with the party, Wong Chen said in dismissing suggestions of a falling out among its leaders. 

Speaking at a forum last night, the PKR central leadership council member said that while differences of opinion exist today, the party remains unequivocally united.

“PKR is not in shambles. Really, seriously. After Azmin left, it’s a happy family now,” he said at the GE15 Forum: A Conversation with Candidates programme, here, this evening.

“My big boss Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and smaller boss Rafizi Ramli may not see eye to eye on many things, but that’s absolutely healthy in a political party.

“When my boss is campaigning in the north, Rafizi is in the south. We are covering a lot of grounds, (these are) two superstars. The tide is in our favour. So, we are not in shambles.”

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