GUA MUSANG: Barisan Nasional's (BN) victory in the Nenggiri state by-election, which, among other things, demonstrated the return of Malay support to the party, is an important morale booster for the cooperation within the unity government, according to Umno leaders.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said this was as expressed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who positioned Umno and BN as the main pillars of the unity government to regain the support of the Malay community, which has been seen as distancing itself.
"Specifically, Umno and BN would like to express their appreciation to the Prime Minister because he closely followed the by-election and assisted us in various aspects.
"In fact, the Prime Minister was constantly in contact with the Umno president (Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) and the leadership to ensure this victory," he said at a press conference after the announcement of the by-election results at Dewan Perdana, Kompleks Perdana, Gua Musang District Council here tonight.
Earlier, BN candidate Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani was announced the winner of the by-election with a convincing majority of 3,352 votes.
The Kelantan Umno Youth chief secured 9,091 votes, defeating Pas candidate Mohd Rizwadi Ismail from Perikatan Nasional (PN), who garnered 5,739 votes.
Asyraf Wajdi said BN's victory in Nenggiri was somewhat unexpected as the youth vote was in favour of BN, including in polling district centres previously dominated by Pas.
"I saw the youth coming out to campaign and give their support, and most importantly, we didn't expect that the outstation voters, who traditionally are said to lean more towards Pas, showed up in large numbers to support BN," he said.
Meanwhile, Kelantan Umno chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub said the victory indicates that Malay support has returned to Umno and BN, considering that almost 100 per cent of the 20,259 voters in the constituency are Malays and Bumiputeras.
Ahmad Jazlan, who is also Kelantan BN chairman, said the success is also a significant expectation from the people of Nenggiri, who want protection from the unity government.
"This success is also a test for the candidate, Mohd Azmawi Fikri, who has managed to win the hearts of the voters not only with his gentle and helpful nature but also importantly, he is a new figure for Umno in Kelantan.
"We have a long journey ahead, and certainly, we must fulfil what we hear from the people, what the people are asking for," he said, adding that the by-election can be used as a stepping stone for Umno and BN to rise in Kelantan.
When asked about the factors behind this success, the BN operations director for the by-election said that selecting the right candidate, making an early announcement and using a different campaign strategy was key to victory.
"People asked me why this time the difference was clear despite BN not having a manifesto while the opponents announced a large manifesto during their speeches.
"I said Awie's (Mohd Azmawi Fikri) manifesto is only one: to serve the people if they give their support. That is the most valuable manifesto," said Ahmad Jazlan. — BERNAMA