‘BN should’ve changed strategy to save Negri’
SEREMBAN: The seat distribution formula for Barisan Nasional component parties in Negri Sembilan must change if the party hopes to regain the people’s support, says state Barisan chief Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
He said Barisan must review the practice of allowing the same political party which failed to win a seat on previous elections to contest again.
“Some of us think that we have an inherent right to contest a seat just because we contested there previously.
“We insist on contesting even after losing a couple of times. That view should change,” he said at his last press conference before vacating the Mentri Besar’s official residence here yesterday.
Mohamad claimed that some component parties had hardly done any work in their respective constituencies after losing in past elections, but still demanded their candidates be fielded again.
“They lost in 2008 and again in 2013 and still did nothing much.
“But as usual, they reappeared three or four months before the general election to tell me that they will be contesting again,” he added.
It has been a practice for Umno to contest 22 of the 36 state seats in Negri Sembilan, with MCA contesting 10 seats and MIC and Gerakan contesting in two seats each. In GE13, Umno won 15 seats while MIC bagged one.
Mohamad said Barisan members should be magnanimous and make way for others if they knew they had no chance of winning.
“I had warned the state Barisan about two to three years ago on the need to work harder in eight sensi-
tive seats.
“Sadly, some of us did not take heed and we lost all eight,” he added.
Mohamad said a state Barisan meeting will be held soon to plan the next course of action.
Although he was stung by the defeat of the state Barisan, Mohamad was confident that the coalition would rise again.
“I may be down but I am certainly not out. It is clear that we lost because we had to implement unpopular policies and due to weaknesses within Barisan component parties, the Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad factor and cost of living issue,” he added.
He congratulated the new Pakatan state government and hoped that he will be an effective opposition leader in the state assembly.
He also hoped that the state administration would continue with the previous state government’s programmes, such as the Malaysia Vision Valley project.
“It will bring in RM300bil in investments and create 1.3 million jobs. We need to continue with it for the benefit of the people,” he added.
I may be down but I’m certainly not out. It is clear that we lost because we had to implement unpopular policies and due to weaknesses within Barisan.
Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan