KUALA LUMPUR – Pejuang president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir told Barisan Nasional (BN) to not be too proud of its victory in Johor, claiming it was aided by an extremely poor voters' turnout.
He added that less than 60% of registered voters in the state have fulfilled their electoral responsibility today, while not all of those who voted had cast their ballots for BN.
“We feel that BN should not be too proud with its achievement. And although we (Pejuang) did not win any seat, we will continue to play the role of check and balance in the state," he said at a press conference in Johor tonight.
Unofficial results show that Pejuang had lost all of the 42 seats it contested out of the 56 available, and is also likely to lose deposit in these constituencies.
Mukhriz said following today’s result, his party will shift its focus to the coming general election tomorrow onwards.
Commenting on Pejuang loss, he said this is likely contributed by the lack of time to promote the party to the electorates in the state.
He added that Pejuang was only officially registered with the Registrar of Societies less than seven months ago, and that many voters have yet to recognise its logo.
“We don’t consider it a mistake to contest in the election alone and in 42 seats. But perhaps we didn't have enough time to prepare, promote our party and explain what we are all about.
“Also, we didn’t have time to introduce our candidates properly. I have to admit, our competitions were better prepared.”
Meanwhile, in a separate press conference, Muda’s sole successful contestant, Amira Aisya said her win in the Puteri Wangsa seat was just the beginning.
She said the fight was not an easy one as the party contested under its own banner, one that was unfamiliar to the people.
“My first goal wasn’t to win but to serve. This is not the end of the race, this is just the beginning,” said the Muda secretary-general.
She also thanked all Muda members, in particular her machinery in helping her throughout the campaign. – The Vibes, March 12, 2022
Additional reporting by Lancelot Theseira
