KUALA LUMPUR: Umno veteran Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said he had expected Barisan Nasional to lose seats in the 14th General Election (GE14).
However, he did not expect the results to be “this bad”.
“I expected (some seats to fall) because we had been getting strong pressure during the campaign period.
“Such pressure pushed swing votes (to the other side), particularly in marginal and urban seats.”
Tengku Razaleigh, fondly known as Ku Li, said BN lost because people living in urban areas, known to be supportive of Pakatan Harapan, had gone back to their hometowns to vote, adding that the people’s decision had to be respected.
However, he said, the winning side had issues forming a government because no party had won with a simple majority.
He said the impact of GE14 results would see 60 per cent of the people represented by Umno and Pas being sidelined from the mainstream leadership of the ruling parties.
“But these are the ups and downs of politics,” said the Gua Musang member of parliament.
Asked if BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak would step down, he said reporters should ask Najib himself.
“He will make a decision when the time comes.”
On his take of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s return to power, he said he couldn’t say much because the former was a former prime minister and now the elected prime minister.
“He will know what to do.”