Nenggiri By-Election: 'First Flip' Returns Momentum Of Support To PH-BN - Analysts

By Rosmalis Anuar & Mohd Noor Iqram Rosli

GUA MUSANG, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- The country's political landscape has clearly received a new signal especially from Malay voters and the momentum of support in the future, after witnessing the first flip with the Nenggiri state seat changing hands yesterday.

Despite competing on the grounds of opposing team, Barisan Nasional (BN) representing the Unity Government not only did not sink under the storm of the 'green wave' but won in style with a convincing majority.

Political analyst Prof Datuk Dr Sivamurugan Pandian believes that the victory gives UMNO a new lease of life with the motivation to maintain momentum and regain support especially among their staunch supporters.

"UMNO came down with a 'do or die' mission in an area that used to be their stronghold and the strategy of placing Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah as the BN election director for the by-election is very significant coupled with changing the approach to campaign and prioritising the strength of its candidate.

"For Perikatan Nasional it does not affect its position in the state, but it is actually a signal for them not to be too comfortable with a series of victories in Malay majority areas earlier," he told Bernama.

BN candidate Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani, who is also Kelantan UMNO Youth chief, won the Nenggiri state by-election with a large majority of 3,352 votes after obtaining 9,091 votes and defeating his challenger and PAS candidate Mohd Rizwadi Ismail representing Perikatan Nasional who garnered 5,739 votes.

Of the nine by-elections held after the 15th general election, eight of them witnessed the status quo namely Kuala Terengganu (PN), Simpang Jeram (PH), Pulai (PH), Pelangai (BN), Jepak (GPS), Kemaman (PN) , Kuala Kubu Baharu (PH) and Sungai Bakap (PN).

Similarly, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) political science lecturer, Prof Dr Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid thinks Malay support for BN-PH has been restored with the victory in the rural state constituency which has about 86 per cent Malay voters.

"There are many factors that can be attributed to the success but the root of it is the voters' confidence in the cooperation of the coalition parties in the Unity Government which is increasingly trusted in terms of the economy, unemployment, inflation and the ringgit currency.

"Even though BN did not have a manifesto, they still get good support from voters without promising the moon and stars like PAS," he said.

Meanwhile, Geostrategist Prof Dr Azmi Hassan said BN's stylish victory in Nenggiri yesterday was a huge blow to PAS, even though the area was originally a UMNO stronghold before it lost in the Kelantan state election last year.

The Senior Fellow of the Nusantara Academy of Strategic Research (NASR) said the BN strategy which gave the impression that the by-election was a clash between UMNO and PAS, rather than between BN and PN, also contributed to the victory of the coalition party.

"This is the strategy made before the campaign by (Tan Sri) Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, that this is actually UMNO's fight," he said.

Azmi also agreed that the victory in Nenggiri gave momentum to BN and its cooperation with Pakatan Harapan (PH) to face the Mahkota by-election in Johor later.

The Election Commission (EC) set the polling day for the Mahkota state by-election on September 28, while the nomination of candidate and early voting were set on September 14 and 24 respectively.

-- BERNAMA