KUALA LUMPUR – Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan has rubbished claims made by analysts attempting to discredit the landslide win obtained by Barisan Nasional (BN) in the recent Johor polls.
The Pontian MP said that ever since the conclusion of the Johor election on March 12, it appears as if those who lost their bids for seats in the state are interpreting the election results in a way that will soothe their defeat.
“You have already lost, just accept it,” he said during a briefing session for the upcoming Umno general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here today.
He pointed out that the losing parties are now simply looking for excuses to justify their loss.
Directing his ire at analysts who claim that BN did not win the popular vote in the election, Ahmad said that such assertions do not align with the democratic electoral system practised in Malaysia.
“Malaysia uses the first-past-the-post electoral system, which dictates that once a candidate gains a majority of votes in the area, then he has won the seat.
“There is no need to total the votes for opposition parties in urban areas and compare the numbers with how many voters from urban areas voted for BN, that is not the method used in Malaysia.”
Besides that, he also dismissed allegations that BN won due to low voter turnout, saying that the low turnout rate is a factor that can be blamed only on voters themselves.
“Who asked you to not come out and vote? No one prevented you from casting your ballot so if you did not come out to vote, then you must accept the poll results brought about by those who voted,” he said.
He added that while some had expected Undi18 forces to be a challenge for BN, the party’s win is due in some ways to younger voters.
“Some people were certain that Undi18 voters would present problems to us, but we managed to win 40 seats with the help of votes partly contributed by them,” he said, adding that the party will be working on getting closer with younger voters.
The Johor election on March 12 saw BN claim a whooping 40 of the 56 seats contested, a win which Ahmad said the party is grateful for but unsurprised with.
“BN’s win in Johor was not out of our expectations as we were confident that we would win more than two thirds of the seats vied for.
“I myself was hoping that we would win 42 seats but we managed to win 40 seats.”
Meanwhile, Ahmad also revealed that the imminent Umno general assembly, which is set to take place from March 16 to 19, will see a total of 5,571 party delegates from all over the nation gathering to hold discussions on various matters.
Noting that halls will only be filled at half capacity to facilitate Covid-19 standard operating procedures, Ahmad said that he looks forward to the spirit of victory and thankfulness from BN’s wins in Melaka and Johor infusing attendees of the assembly.
“Our series of wins have definitely given us a renewed burst of energy to organise our strengths so that we will be one day able to lead the nation.”
Such scenarios, however, might not include PAS as when asked about the role of Muafakat Nasional in the assembly, Ahmad refused to address the question and instead opened the floor to other queries. – The Vibes, March 14, 2022
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