Could Pakatan really help Umno win Malay votes again, asks Ismail Sabri

KUALA LUMPUR – Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has cast his doubts on whether cooperation with its unity government partner Pakatan Harapan (PH) will aid the party in wooing voters in Malay-majority states. 

The former prime minister said that while the Barisan Nasional (BN) linchpin is not considering going solo for the upcoming polls in six states, joining forces with the coalition led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim might not prove fruitful in Malay heartlands. 

“BN only has 30 seats, so we definitely need to work together with PH; this has been decided by the party. 

“But I’m not sure how far PH will be able to help us increase our votes in states that are demographically Malay-dominated, such as Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah,” the Bera MP said when met by reporters at the 2022 Umno general assembly. 

However, he said that the partnership could be beneficial in states such as Selangor, Penang, and Negri Sembilan due to the localities being mixed constituencies. 

He also said that discussions will be held soon between both coalitions regarding seat distribution and other related matters. 

Elections are expected to be held in the six states in the coming months as the listed states did not dissolve their respective legislative assemblies in tandem with the federal administration during the recent national polls (GE15). 

Following an inconclusive GE15, BN and PH had partnered up to form a unity government at the federal level with Perikatan Nasional as the opposition. 

Earlier today, PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli asserted that the main challenge in any electoral pact between PH and BN will be to convince the latter’s supporters to cast their ballots for the former. 

Rafizi explained that this is because there is strong evidence that PH supporters are more open to accepting the establishment of the unity government, as opposed to those from BN. – The Vibes, January 14, 2023