MAHKOTA BY-ELECTION: BN WIN SHOWS SUPPORT FOR UNITY GOV'T FROM ALL RACES - LOKE

SEREMBAN, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- The Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate's victory in the Mahkota state by-election yesterday demonstrates the Unity Government's effectiveness in uniting support from people of all races.

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said although the seat was won by  BN candidate, Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah, his success in securing all districts and polling streams signifies a collective victory for all parties involved in the Unity Government that campaigned together.

“This shows our ability to unite people of diverse backgrounds to support the Unity Government's agenda," he told reporters after officiating at Negeri Sembilan DAP 20th Ordinary Convention here today.

In the Mahkota by-election, Syed Hussien defeated Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Mohamad Haizan Jaafar with an impressive majority of 20,648 votes, thereby maintaining BN's foothold in the state constituency.

Loke, who is also the Seremban MP, added that despite the significant achievement, all parties should remain vigilant and not become complacent, as voter sentiments can change rapidly.

“This victory is a positive sign, but we must understand voter sentiment. We should note that some individuals did not turn out to vote; we need to determine whether they support us or not. Voter sentiment can shift quickly and we must work diligently to achieve strong results,” he added.

When asked if DAP is considering forming a Unity Government in Johor following this win, Loke said the Johor government had been established before the last general election.

As such, he said any collaboration for the upcoming elections would be decided at that time and confirmed that they had not requested any form of Unity Government for now.

In Ipoh, DAP National Vice Chairman Nga Kor Ming said the by-election results indicate that the public is weary of the 3R issues (race, religion and royalty) raised by the opposition and they want the government to focus on economic development, which is now improving.

Speaking at a press conference after officiating the Perak DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) Ordinary Convention 2024, Nga, who is also the Housing and Local Government Minister, said the Unity Government’s leadership must encourage non-Malay voters to participate in future elections.

At the convention, Nga announced that the Perak DAP Committee unanimously supports Perak DAPSY chief Woo Kah Leong as the candidate for DAPSY National chief.

“I would like to thank the state committee on behalf of DAPSY Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, and Sabah for their strong support for Woo as the candidate to succeed Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen, who is stepping down due to age limits,” he added.

-- BERNAMA