UMNO’s relentless efforts were the main reason for their recent victory in the Nenggiri by-election, which is expected to boost the party's spirits in future elections after losing political influence more than a decade ago, analysts said.
They told The Vibes that Umno managed to rebrand its image among Malay and Orang Asli voters, taking support away from Perikatan Nasional (PN) by winning the Kelantan state seat with a larger majority.
Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Mohd Azmawi Fikir Abdul Ghani won the by-election with a convincing majority of 3,352 votes in a constituency with a total of 20,259 registered voters. He polled 9,091 votes against Mohd Rizwadi Ismail from PAS, who received 5,739 votes.
Azmawi’s victory means BN has secured its third seat in the Kelantan assembly. The remaining 42 seats are held by Perikatan Nasional.
This is also the first by-election since the 15th general election where the incumbent party lost to a challenger.
Ilham Centre executive director Hisomuddin Bakar said Umno did a good job of communicating the party's relationship with Pakatan Harapan, especially with DAP.
He said the win marks a turning point for Umno, which has lost many parliamentary and state seats to PN in Malay-majority areas.
"It can be said that Umno was determined to rejuvenate itself. Umno successfully recaptured Malay support, showing that seats won by your opponent can be regained if the right actions are taken,” Hisomuddin said.
Hisomuddin also said the win in Nenggiri was not so much about Anwar Ibrahim.
"PH was not directly involved, and Anwar was not present during the campaign period.
"Putrajaya's announcement about the salary hike for civil servants was also last minute," he said, adding that it could not have significantly influenced the voters.
Hisomuddin emphasised that the victory was primarily due to Umno's hard work.
Anwar played a small part
Merdeka Centre's Ibrahim Suffian believed that several factors contributed to BN’s win in Nenggiri.
He said the improved economy and the absence of serious national issues gave the government the upper hand.
"Indeed, Umno demonstrated that they wanted the win more. They chose the right candidate, used the right narrative, and managed to convince the Orang Asli and the Malays to come out and vote.
"Anwar's popularity as prime minister was also a contributing factor. Whatever criticism against him did not last long," Ibrahim said.
He added that early voters backed the government, possibly influenced by the salary hike announcement.
Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim attributed Umno's Nenggiri win to Anwar's popularity rather than any renewed support for Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Zaid said Anwar’s commitment to Kelantan’s development and his advocacy for the Palestinian cause have boosted his support among Malay voters in the state.
He did not anticipate BN’s success and suggested that the results in Nenggiri highlight the fact that the PAS-Bersatu alliance is weakening without power and resources. – August 24, 2024.
