Can BN secure a two-thirds win?
victory in the “mother of all elections”.
However, under the shouts and fistpumping of party members over the week, there was also a sense of uncertainty whether Umno – and Barisan Nasional as a whole – will be able to secure the much sought twothirds majority in the legislature post GE14.
Najib provided a clear-cut message to the Malay Muslims at the assembly; that they will be displaced and degraded if the ruling coalition were to lose.
While such remarks may terrify the rural and suburban Malays, it does not do much in wooing the support of voters from other races, particularly the Chinese.
It was largely the swing of Chinese votes that contributed to BN’s worst performance in its history in GE13, despite Umno itself managing to increase its seat tally.
In his winding-up speech, Najib expressed confidence of winning big in GE14, stating that “the wind is behind us”.
However, when asked by media in a postassembly press conference whether he was confident of winning a two-thirds majority, Najib replied that the momentum was on BN’s side, while taking a jibe at the inconsistency of the Opposition.
Even with the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan in disarray, as pointed out by Najib, the ruling alliance should question whether the non-Malay votes would return to the BN component parties, MCA and MIC in particular, in the next polls.
For the record, opposition parties managed to deny BN a two-thirds majority for the first time without having to work under a formal coalition in GE12.
Another deciding factor that could jeopardise BN’s super-majority target is the multi-cornered fights in the Malay-majority seats, prompted by the departure of PAS from the opposition coalition.
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in his speech at the assembly said multi-cornered fights will not benefit the party in some seats. A recent remark by Umno information chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa has quashed talk the two parties might be holding hands in facing GE14.
For BN, the inability to win a super majority in the next general election is just as good as a loss, given all the clenching of fists and chest thumping at the Umno assembly.
All of the works the ruling coalition has been doing post-GE13 has been centred on returning the super majority in the Dewan Rakyat to the government.
Thus, the main question that should be asked leading up to GE14 is not whether BN can retain Putrajaya, but whether the coalition can actually regain the two-thirds majority which it has been denied twice.