BN MUST ADOPT DIGITAL, TACTICAL STRATEGY FOR GE16 - AHMAD ZAHID

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 (Bernama) -- Barisan Nasional (BN) must develop a smarter political strategy, including digital approaches and tactical measures, to prepare for the 16th General Election (GE16) within the next 22 months, its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

The UMNO president said BN can no longer rely solely on conventional methods and must adapt to changing voter demographics and the current political landscape.

“Our strategy must shift towards a non-conventional approach, not the traditional methods. New digital strategies are essential because it is impossible to reach all 2.5 million new voters through face-to-face communication,” he said.

He was speaking at the ninth Better Nation Forum, titled Model Baharu Barisan Nasional: Antara Tradisi Politik & Tuntutan Perubahan (Barisan Nasional’s New Model: Between Political Tradition and the Demand for Change), at the Menara Dato Onn Auditorium, World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) tonight.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir moderated the forum, which featured a panel including Dr Bridget Welsh from Nottingham University Malaysia, Senior Fellow of the Malaysia Studies Programme at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore, Dr Lee Hwok Aun, and Ilham Centre Executive Director Hishomuddin Bakar.

The Deputy Prime Minister said BN must recognise the current political reality, in which no single party can form a government alone, and adopt a more realistic, inclusive strategy that accounts for changing voter patterns, particularly the rise of young voters.

“We must acknowledge that first-time voters, those aged 18, number around half a million each year. In this context, our strategy must change,” he said.

He added that BN also needs to reassess its performance after winning only 30 parliamentary seats in the last general election, taking into account demographic factors, multi-cornered contests, and internal issues that influenced the outcome.

Ahmad Zahid also highlighted that political experience in Sabah shows that the right strategy at the right time can yield advantages, even with a small number of seats contested.

“This experience shows that even with limited numbers, we succeeded by implementing a political strategy that was correct, timely, and targeted,” he said.

He stressed that BN must be bold in changing its political communication, avoid being overly defensive, and focus on regaining dominance in GE16.

The Better Nation Forum, initiated by Ahmad Zahid, brings together thought leaders, experts, and the public to discuss critical issues shaping Malaysia’s future. The first series was launched on Feb 12 last year.

-- BERNAMA