Shahidan’s influence blunts opposition attempts to win state

The 14th General Election (GE14) will be the first time Barisan Nasional is facing Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), an Umno splinter party.

Although PPBM’s presence will likely give an advantage to BN on the expectation that votes among the opposition parties will be split between Pakatan Harapan and Pas supporters, Umno will make sure it secures the votes.

PPBM will ride on Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s influence as a former prime minister and former Umno president to lure votes from Umno members, including in Perlis.

PPBM’s real appeal among voters remains to be seen.

BN will have an advantage in defending Perlis based on GE13 results, and also because there is no local issue that can shake the party.

Political analyst Associate Prof Dr Rusdi Omar said it was hard for Pas and Pakatan to wrest Perlis from BN due to the influence of state Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.

“It is impossible for Pas or Pakatan to capture Perlis. The groundwork at grassroots level led by Shahidan is strong.

“It will be difficult for the opposition in Perlis.

“In fact, the opposition will face a tough time defending its seats in GE14 because of the expected three-cornered fight between BN, Pakatan and Pas, which will give BN the advantage,” he said.

Rusdi said although there was a minor leadership issue in Perlis, it would not affect BN’s chances to retain the state.

“A conflict is normal as it happens in other parties and other states. The issue in Perlis is just a storm in a teacup compared with other states,” he said.

However, he reminded BN of the threat of sabotage by those not selected as candidates, which might deny BN a chance to win big in the state.

“Individuals or groups who are unhappy with the choice of candidates should put the interest of the party before the individual.

“At the same time, fresh candidates must go to the ground