Malaysia's ruling BN hopes to be third time lucky in Selangor in next election
08 March, 2018
KUALA LUMPUR: ''Something better is coming."
That is the tagline Malaysia’s ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is using to try and wrest back Selangor in the next general election, which must be held by this August.
Speaking at the launch of BN’s election machinery in Ulu Yam, Prime Minister Najib Razak said the ruling coalition hopes to be third time lucky after failing to win the state in the last two elections in 2008 and 2013.
"We must make sure we don’t lose Selangor for a third time," he said. "We must recapture Selangor."
Najib, who is the chairman of the 13-party BN coalition, promised voters in Selangor that he will fix their problems – among them: Water shortage, a lack of affordable housing and poor garbage collection and disposal.
Selangor, which is the most industrialised of Malaysia’s 13 states, has been ruled by the opposition in the past 10 years by the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) with Azmin Ali as its current chief minister.
The PKR, which is part of the Pakatan Harapan alliance, currently controls 29 seats, with the Islamic party PAS having another 13 seats. The UMNO-led BN has 11 seats in the state.
BN’s state liaison chief Noh Omar is targeting for the coalition to win 32 seats in Selangor. "We just need to win 32 seats - not all 56 seats," he said.
One political observer Channel NewsAsia spoke to says it will be difficult for the BN to regain Selangor given its largely urban and semi-urban mixed seats that are inclined to vote for the opposition.
"Selangor will stay with the opposition, as there are enough Malay voters who support Pakatan," said civil liberties lawyer Syahredzan Johan.
At the Ulu Yam event, truckloads of goodies – comprising biscuits, canned food, cooking oil, sugar and other foodstuff – were distributed to the crowd.
"The opposition-led state government has never given such goodies, only free water - which is not much," said housewife Wan Sukiah.
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