KOTA KINABALU – With the possibility of snap polls being called this year, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Barisan Nasional will go all out to reclaim the seats it lost due to defections following the 14th general election.
The BN chairman and Umno president, in an interview with The Vibes, said the coalition took 79 parliamentary seats two years ago, with 19 of them contributed by Sarawak BN before the chapter quit to form Gabungan Parti Sarawak, the ruling state pact that comprises Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, Sarawak United People’s Party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak and Progressive Democratic Party.
“At that time, we saw certain individuals turning into ‘muhajirin’ (defectors) and claiming that they couldn’t stand the pressure. Maybe, some buckled because of investigations.
“They had no political resilience. I do not want to mention their names, but as of now, we have 55 BN MPs. We will defend all the 55 seats.
“We will not compromise with anyone... those ‘muhajirin’ won on Umno and BN’s ticket, not their own.
“On that note, Umno and BN, alongside our allies, will act according to the needs of the current political situation,” he said when asked about the former ruling coalition’s move to forge new alliances in various states.
Since BN’s fall in the 2018 elections, its lynchpin, Umno, has seen waves of defections. Among them are 17 MPs who joined Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s Bersatu.
Attracting young voters
Zahid acknowledged that the voting trend among Malaysian youth has changed, saying it is inevitable.
Umno is aware of this, too, and has tweaked its approach to attract young voters.
With the latest statistics showing that voters aged 40 and below make up 43.78% of the electorate, the party has no choice but to adopt a different strategy, said Zahid.
“However, the 43.78%... is not enough to support a political party. We know that there are differences in background and education. It will take some time.
“We know that all parties today have a youth wing. I think in this context, Umno is not just a party per se.
“We look at Umno as a Malay social institution, where the Malay agenda and its values today are different from what they were then, in that people come together (regardless of) race, religion, background and demography, like how issues in Sabah and Sarawak are included. I think we are very dynamic in that sense.
“As a dynamic party, we shape and ‘colour’ Umno and BN according to the situation. Whoever wants to start a new party... we are ready to face them.”
Umno’s rejuvenation
After BN’s election defeat, most of the old guard remained key personalities in Umno.
Zahid, however, said the party has been putting new faces at the forefront.
“We have taken that approach. In the appointment of the Umno information chief, for example, Shahril Hamdan was deemed ‘too old’ even though he has yet to reach the age of 40.
“Thirty per cent of Supreme Council members are 40 and below.
“And what about Puteri Umno’s leaders and members below 30 years old? (Is that) not considered an approach to regenerate the party?
“Is it not the same for Umno Youth, where only the wing chief can be above 40, and members must be below 40?
“This is a way for Youth, Puteri and some Supreme Council members to someday assume leadership roles in the party.
“I have opened up a large platform for them, not just for them to get trained, but to also get the necessary exposure so that they can take up leadership roles.” – The Vibes, September 23, 2020.
Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was interviewed by Norman Goh and Zaidi Azmi.
