GE15: Can BN retain Jasin parliamentary seat?
07 Nov 2022 06:41pm
Can BN retain its "sure win” seat following rumours that its party machinery had rejected its candidate this time? - Sinar archive photo
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The addition of 22,544 new voters, to take the total number of voters for the seat to 95,976 in the 15th general election (GE15) compared to 73,432 in GE14, has levelled the playing field for all the four parties vying for the Jasin seat.
BN is banking on former two-term Merlimau state assemblyman Datuk Roslan Ahmad, who will be challenged by Melaka PAS commissioner Zulkifli Ismail of Perikatan Nasional (PN), Datuk Harun Mohamed (Pakatan Harapan) and Datuk Mohd Daud Nasir (Pejuang).
The question is can BN retain its "sure win” seat following rumours that its party machinery had rejected its candidate this time?
While admitting that nine out of the 38 polling district centre (PDM) operations rooms were shut down after Roslan’s nomination, Jasin UMNO division chief Datuk Hasan Abd Rahman said the matter was resolved after the party machinery was reminded of the pledge as UMNO members.
"Our pledge last time was that whoever is the candidate (for the Jasin parliamentary seat), we must ensure victory. This is the pledge, so we must carry it out. The party machinery must be magnanimous in this matter,” he said when met at the Bemban State Legislative Assembly Development and Coordination Committee (Japerun) office here.
According to him, BN would need the support of about 41,000 voters in Jasin, including among its loyal supporters, to retain the seat in GE15 as well as gain an additional 8,000 votes by wooing the fence-sitters and new voters, namely Undi18.
Shafezah Abdul Wahab, a Communication and Media Studies senior lecturer from the College of Computing, Informatics and Media of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Melaka branch, said the closure of the PDM, which later became operational again, would not have much impact on BN as it is the traditional stronghold of BN.
According to her, the four-cornered fight between the four Malay candidates in the Jasin parliamentary seat will split the votes among the community, thus a focused and strategic campaign will give the candidates an advantage.
"The sentiment of the voters, especially Undi18, also needs to be taken into account as these groups are more likely to choose a candidate rather than the party,” she said.
Universiti Putra Malaysia Faculty of Human Ecology senior lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Izani Mohd Zain said BN should use its excellent results in the Melaka state election last year to convince the constituents to support its candidate in GE15.
"At the state level (State Legislative Assembly), the voters have given their backing to BN, so BN can exploit its win in the state election for GE15. The only thing is that UMNO and BN must be smart at managing their unity,” he said. - BERNAMA
