MORE PERAK MALAYS SUPPORT BN

'NO' TO OPPOSITION: Umno confident of winning all 36 Malay-majority seats it is contesting 

By Roshidi Abu Samah (NST)
 
IPOH: PERAK Barisan Nasional leaders have rubbished claims that the Malay support for the opposition has increased to 32 per cent this year from 28 per cent in 2008.

Perak Umno secretary Datuk Mohd Khusairi Abdul Talib said yesterday the claim had no basis as state Pas deputy commissioner Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin had made his conclusion based only on a "coffee shop study" by buying people in Malay-majority constituencies breakfast in their favourite coffee shops every Friday morning.

On the contrary, he said, a survey conducted by Perak Umno revealed that Malay voters' support for BN had increased sharply since 2008.

"In fact, we are confident that Umno will win all 36 Malay-majority seats it is contesting, in addition to seats contested by BN in constituencies with mixed voters."

Khusairi and other BN leaders were asked to comment on an online report on Sunday, which quoted the former menteri besar as having said that Malay support for the opposition had increased to a comfortable level of 32 per cent since 2008.

He said the recent decision by Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to abandon an earlier plan to contest a parliamentary seat in Perak was proof that the Malay support towards the opposition in Perak had waned.

He said Anwar had been eyeing Malay-majority constituencies like Bagan Datoh, Tambun and Tanjung Malim, but changed his mind after learning that his political ceramah received lacklustre response from the Malay community in the areas.

"Anwar's U-turn proves to Nizar that the Malay voters in Perak are abandoning the opposition in droves."

Gerakan deputy president Datuk Chang Ko Youn said Nizar was daydreaming and that his claim was merely a syok sendiri (self-praising) statement.

He said Malay voters had thrown solid support behind BN as witnessed during public programmes in the state.

"I can see that the unity in Umno is stronger now than in 2008," said Chang, who is expected to be fielded as BN candidate for the Beruas parliamentary seat.

Perak MIC deputy chairman Datuk R. Ganesan said he was confident that BN would be able to retain Perak in the 13th General Election based on the strong support shown by the people towards the ruling coalition. He said the administration and economic transformation initiatives introduced by Datuk Seri Najib Razak had prompted people to shift their support to BN.

"Programmes such as 1Malaysia People's Aid, 1Malaysia Schooling Aid and 1Malaysia Book Voucher have received positive feedback from the rakyat, particularly the Malay community."

The claim made by Nizar, he said, was mere political talk that had no substance. - NST Wednesday, April 10, 2013

AS PUBLISHED HERE...