Pix by Hairul Anuar Abdul Rahim
JOHOR BARU: A Singaporean research institute's findings on the supposedly waning support towards Barisan Nasional in Johor do not reflect the real situation.
Pulai Umno division chief Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the study conducted by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak was done in a random manner and did not represent sentiments at all levels in the state.
"I feel that the study was done randomly and it does not reflect the actual situation. It is very easy to reach a conclusion without taking all things into consideration.
"The study had also said that Barisan Nasional (BN) would lose the Pulai parliamentary seat, but I do not agree with that. In the last general election, there were some quarters who said the same thing.
"That is why the study by (ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute) is incomplete as it does not encapsulate the actual aspect in each area," said Nur Jazlan, who is deputy home minister and Pulai MP.
He said this at a press conference after launching an under-12 football tournament at the Pulai Parlamentary Community Centre today.
Singapore's ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute's Malaysia study programme coordinator, Dr Francis Hutchinson told Channel NewsAsia (CNA) on Thursday that support for Umno and BN had slipped in recent years, but admitted that the ruling coalition remained strong enough to win in Johor in the 14th general election.
Hutchinson said that BN's support went down from a high of 70 per cent to 65 per cent in 2008 and 55 per cent in 2013. He also said that BN was in danger of losing a few seats in Johor, particularly in urban constituencies such as Pulai, Pasir Gudang and Tebrau.
CNA said the study was based on in-depth focus group discussions and interviews with residents in parts of rural Johor and Kedah.
Nur Jazlan said voters in Johor were wary of the lies being spread by the opposition in the past two general elections; and that voters were smart enough to differentiate who could better serve them as a responsible government.
"The opposition has been harping upon how they will win big in the past. But the people have lost their trust due to the opposition's lies and propaganda. The reality is that the opposition comprises parties which can never cooperate with each other," he said.
Nur Jazlan said that even in his Pulai constituency, the voters have to put up with lies from the opposition.
He said the previous candidate Salahuddin Ayub had contested against him on a Pas ticket in the 2013 general election, but Salahuddin was now in Parti Amanah Negara (PAN).
"I want to see who the opposition candidate will be. The previous candidate was from Pas... I do not think Pulai voters will want an opposition candidate to be their elected representative as they have lied to them in the past two general elections. Pulai voters will only elect the best candidate who can serve them," said
In 2013, Nur Jazlan won the Pulai parliamentary seat with a 3,226-vote majority over Salahuddin Ayub, who was still in Pas at the time.