IPOH – The move by Umno to axe several warlords in the 15th general election and field new and younger candidates is necessary to avoid repeating the results of the 14th general election, said party Youth chief Datuk Seri Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
Defending the decision by his party president, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to remove several key stalwarts and incumbent lawmakers, Asyraf said this strategy was effective in the Johor and Melaka elections, where they fielded 87% and 79% new candidates respectively, and had landslide victories.
“People are expecting Umno to change now. It will be difficult for us to change later.
“That is why there is a balance of 70% new faces, with the rest being experienced leaders, but the feedback we received on the ground has been positive,” he said in a recent interview during one of his walkabouts in Gerik.
Prior to the election, Zahid had dropped several party stalwarts such as Arau incumbent Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, Pasir Salak’s Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, Padang Besar’s Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin, and Ketereh’s Tan Sri Annuar Musa.
This move led Shahidan to revolt and contest under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) banner, while Zahidi opted to contest as an independent.
Asyraf said these actions were minor reactions, compared to other incumbents who are still helping Umno candidates on the ground.
The move, Asyraf said stemmed from the painful lesson the party learned in the 14th general election, when the people soundly rejected long-time incumbents such as former Kalabakan MP Datuk Seri Abdul Ghapur Salleh.
“This is a real gamble, but we have to start somewhere and it is the aspiration of the young to see Umno change,” he said.
When asked whether this decision would end up costing Umno the state of Perlis to PN under Shahidan, Asyraf said “only God knows”, but he remained confident that the party might just pull through.
PN, PH leading narrative on social media
Meanwhile, Asyraf said Bersatu’s apparent dominance on social media platforms such as TikTok simply hides the fact that they do not have a strong presence on the ground compared with Umno.
The deluge of PN’s digital content barraging social media users creates the supposed perception that there will be a swing of Malay votes to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s coalition, he said.
However, Asyraf claimed the notion is far from the truth as PN’s election machinery depends almost entirely on Islamist party PAS, who is only dominant in places such as Kelantan, Terengganu, and to a certain extent, Kedah.
“If you talk about PN, we (Barisan Nasional) are basically confronting PAS as their entire election machinery is mostly from this party (PAS), while only 15% to 20% is from Bersatu.
“So where is their stronghold? It is along the Malay belts, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah. But even in Kedah, PAS is not as strong as reception to the party is quite mixed.
“So you have to analyse the situation state by state, rather than generalising it,’’ he said, adding that even Terengganu is showing signs of a potential swing to BN.
Similarly, Asyraf said both Pakatan Harapan (PH) and PN do not have a solid narrative to attack BN in this election but are relying on creating false perceptions to woo voters.
“Social media does not represent the reality on the ground. For example in GE14, many additional issues triggered the people’s sentiments, such as 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd) and the GST (goods and services tax).
“But today we cannot see the wow factor from PH or PN. They only rely on the narrative of corruption or ‘sakau’ (stealing) to tarnish BN’s image.
“If you depend on sentiment and emotions, it will not last,” he said.
Youth voters an unknown quantum
Though the addition of youth voters may present an unknown quantum in the election, Asyraf said the younger generation is likely to be influenced by their peers and parents when it comes to voting.
Breaking up the youth voting segment into three age groups – 18 to 20, 21 to 30, and 31 to 40 – Asyraf said those between the ages of 18 to 20 are the most impressionable as they lack exposure to political education.
“I think they would vote based very much on their parents’ choices because they are not politically mature yet.
“Then comes those who are in universities and can already decide on these things.
“But we might have some problems with those aged 40 and above, who may be triggered by sentiments regurgitated online but again, all this depends on the localities as well,” he said, further suggesting that certain constituents care more about local issues rather than national narratives, regardless of age.
Not taking Gerik for granted
A parachute candidate, Asyraf is well aware that he has to work doubly hard to win the hearts and minds of Gerik’s voters and local BN supporters, for whom voting for a non-local representative may leave a bitter taste.
Gerakan Wanita chief Datuk Tan Lian Hoe won the seat in 2004, but many locals have since found her absent in the constituency throughout her tenure, said Asyraf.
“It is largely why I am focusing my efforts here, meeting as many people as possible and listening to what their concerns are.
“The people here also detest arrogant or boastful behaviour and prefer a more personal approach rather than major functions or ceramah. This is also why I am travelling with a small yet dedicated team to do my groundwork without much fanfare,” he said.
Earlier in the campaign, scuffles had broken out between local Gerik Umno members due to disagreements with Asyraf’s candidacy for the parliamentary seat.
The Umno youth chief acknowledged this resistance as Gerik locals were previously dead set on seeing Datuk Hasbullah Osman representing them again.
However, Hasbullah passed away in late 2020.
“There was resistance earlier from these members due to the bitter experience of fielding an outsider for the seat. Hasbullah did an excellent job as an MP, but sadly he passed away.
“But this issue has been resolved. I am also fully aware that I cannot and will not take the people of Gerik for granted,” he said.
In the previous election, BN won Gerik when Hasbullah defeated PAS candidate Mohd Dahalan Ismail and Bersatu’s Ibrahim Hanafiah with a 3,587-vote majority.
Asyraf also explained that his candidacy in Gerik was decided at the very last minute by party leaders, a decision that he fully respects, and he is working hard to deliver a win for the coalition.
“If you look at all my statements before the elections, I was prepared to defend my seat in Pasir Putih. I was ready to go all out and fight there as I am a Kelantan boy and that is my hometown.
“But the decision was made to field me in Gerik instead. Regardless, I'm ready to deliver a win for BN,” he said.
In Gerik, Asyraf will face PH’s Ahmad Tarmizi Mohd Jam and PN’s Fathul Uzir Ayob. – The Vibes, November 13, 2022
