Umno getting stronger in Perak

IPOH: Behind the political uncertainties in Perak after the general election in 2008, the Perak Barisan Nasional ( BN) won a stiff fight to form the government on a simple majority at the 13th General Election (GE13).

The triumph proved the people gave the mandate to BN to continue administering the state to simultaneously reject the opposition contention that the alliance ruled Perak by seizing power in 2009.

The effort to reap the people’s support was carried out since four years ago when BN took over the administration of the state from the opposition after four of its state assemblymen left the party and declared themselves BN-friendly independents.

The development of Perak, which was brought about by the determined effort of the BN government headed by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, rallied the people to BN.

The going- down- to- thefield programme which he implemented by using the slogan, “Nobody is overlooked, Nobody is isolated”, also saw him plumbing the depths of the people’s heart and unravelling their problems.

Political analyst Datuk Rais Hussin Mohamad Ariff said the people of Perak wanted Zambry to continue leading, and to continue the effort to administer the state well.

The BN victory in the 13th General Election was also obtained through the improved support of the Malays when Umno contributed 30 of the 31 state seats won by the alliance. During GE12, Umno won 27 state seats.

Umno which contested in 36 state seats at GE13, two more from GE12, won back Pengakalan Hulu, Kubu Gajah, Kampung Gajah, Trong, Tualang Sekah, Batu Kurau and Alor Pongsu.

Umno also managed to win a bigger majority of votes in the 20 seats it contested.

Political analyst Universiti Utara Malaysia lecturer Prof Dr Ahmad Atory Hussain said 75 per cent of Malay voters supported Umno and the rest chose PAS and PKR.

Behind Umno’s improved performance, MCA, Gerakan, MIC and the People’s Progressive Party fared badly when only MCA contributed a seat in Chenderiang.

The winds of change of Chinese voters in 2008 did not differ much with GE13 when DAP remained dominant in Chinese- majority areas with a clean sweep of all the 18 seats it contested in.

Nevertheless, the support towards PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat ( PKR) had weakened when the seats won by the two parties became less. At GE13, PAS and PKR won five state seats each compared to six and seven seats in GE12. — Bernama