ARAU: The people are now mature and not easily influenced by the propaganda propagated by the opposition during the campaigning period for the Sungai Bakap by-election in Penang, an Umno top leader said.
Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah is confident in the wisdom of the people to make the right decision on polling day for the July 6 by-election, despite several issues enveloping the country.
"We are aware of the people's concerns regarding the ongoing issues, especially the rising prices of goods.
"Having said that, I am confident that the public is mature enough to make the right decisions. When selecting a government, decisions should not be based solely on one small issue.
"Instead, we must consider issues in a broader and more comprehensive manner. Therefore, we hope the public will once again mandate the unity government to ensure stability and confidence for all parties," he told reporters here today.
The Sungai Bakap by-election, he said, is the best platform for the unity government to assess public support, demonstrating the cooperation and commitment of the coalition machinery from Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH).
"The Sungai Bakap by-election presents a great opportunity for the unity government to garner public support. The commitment and unity of the machinery today from the BN and PH coalition form the best consensus.
"This allows the party machinery to carry out its work well and efficiently, as is being done now. When the party machinery operates effectively, I believe strategies can be well implemented to engage with voters," he said.
Shamsul Anuar said that the coalition has gone through various elections before and believes that the strengths and weaknesses within the coalition can be improved, enabling the unity government to remain the best choice for voters in Penang.
The Sungai Bakap by-election will see a straight fight between Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Dr Joohari Ariffin and Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Abidin Ismail.
The Election Commission fixed July 6 for polling and July 2 as the early voting day.