UMNO Perak is confident in retaining the Ayer Kuning seat in the upcoming by-election but remains cautious about underestimating any opponent's capabilities.
The party is committed to ensuring the seat in the Perak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) stays in the hands of Barisan Nasional (BN).
Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad, UMNO Perak Chairman highlighted that the focus will be on securing support from new voters in the constituency.
"On paper, the seat should favour the MADANI government candidate, as BN secured more than 9,000 votes in the last election, while Pakatan Harapan (PH) received around 6,000 votes," he said.
"This means a total of 15,000 votes from both coalitions. However, we cannot take this for granted, as elections are dynamic. Efforts must continue to meet and engage with voters, especially new ones," Saarani added.
He made the remarks during a press conference after attending the 2025 Perak State Government's Customer Engagement Program at Stadium Indera Mulia on Monday.
Earlier, Saarani informed that UMNO Perak had submitted a formal notice to the Speaker of the Perak State Legislative Assembly, Datuk Mohammad Zahir Abdul Khalid, regarding the vacancy of the Ayer Kuning seat following the death of its incumbent, Ishsam Shahruddin, on Saturday.
Ishsam, 59, passed away from a heart attack after participating in the Penang Chief Minister’s Four-Corner Football Tournament at the Georgetown City Stadium.
As a result, a by-election for the Ayer Kuning seat must be held, as the 15th Perak State Legislative Assembly's current term has not yet completed its three-year mandate.
Saarani also stated that discussions with PH leadership would be held to ensure smooth collaboration during the election process.
"In terms of strategy, BN will focus on securing support from our traditional voters, while PH will aim to gather support from their own base," he explained.
"This is the type of collaboration we saw previously in by-elections like those in Pelangai (Pahang) and Mahkota (Johor)." – February 25, 2025
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