ALOR STAR: The unity government has great odds of wresting Kedah and Perlis from Perikatan Nasional (PN), should the winning momentum in the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election continues in the 16th General Election (GE16).
Kedah Amanah chairman Asmirul Anuar Aris said there was a significant shift in Malay votes towards Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate, Pang Sock Tao, who won by garnering about 14,000 votes, accounting for 51.21 per cent.
Asmirul said Pang's triumph clearly indicated the confidence of the people, particularly in Kuala Kubu Baharu, in the government's direction under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
"The outcome of the recent elections in Kuala Kubu Baharu demonstrated a noteworthy change in Malay voter support, with Pakatan Harapan (PH) securing 41 per cent of the Malay votes, as opposed to the 39 per cent obtained by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate. This shift reflects evolving political dynamics and suggests a growing confidence in PH among Malay voters.
"In addition to Malay votes, votes from the Chinese and Indian communities also surpassed those obtained by the PN candidate.
"Kedah Amanah is optimistic that the outcome of the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election favouring the Pakatan Harapan candidate is an indication that the 'Green Wave' during GE15 has started to weaken and significantly declined," he said in a statement.
Hence, he expressed confidence that should the momentum continue in GE16, the unity government has a great opportunity to wrest Kedah and Perlis, which are currently governed by PN.
Acknowledging the need for sustained efforts, Asmirul urged political parties within the unity government coalition to mobilise their resources and engage with the public proactively.
He cautioned against complacency and stressed the importance of providing voters with accurate information to maintain their trust.
"Political parties within the unity government coalition should not be complacent with the victory achieved.
"Instead, they should mobilise the entire party machinery starting now to reach out to the people and provide them with the necessary information," he added.
PH retained the Kuala Kubu Baharu state seat when Pang won with a 3,869-vote majority after defeating three other candidates in the by-election.
Pang beat Bersatu candidate, Khairul Azhari Saut representing the Perikatan Nasional (PN), Hafizah Zainuddin from the Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) and independent candidate, Nyau Ke Xin.