Were Rompin voters trying to send Putrajaya and BN a message? Possibly, said Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Husein.

"Like what Pahang menteri besar Adnan Yakoob said earlier, the results that we see here, maybe there are some things the government needs to take into consideration.

"But what is important is that we won," he told reporters after the Rompin by-election results were announced.

He was responding to a question on whether issues raised by PAS, particularly the implementation of the unpopular goods and services tax (GST), had an effect on the polls.

Earlier, Adnan told reporters that the lower turnout was a result of a long holiday over the weekend and thus many voters had left before polling day.

"We also understand that people are sending certain messages to the government - both state and federal - we will take note of these (messages)," he said.

Asked if he was referring to GST, Adnan ( photo ) said both GST and Felda issues had caused some resentment among voters.

"We wil; have to deal with these issues. Hopefully, the federal government can do sometime about it," he said.

On whether PAS' aggressive push for the implementation of hudud law worked to its advantage, Adnan said that it was a non-factor.

The Rompin by-election saw BN's majority slashed by 40.8 percent.

In 2013, incumbent Jamaluddin Jarjis polled 30,040 votes while BN's candidate Hasan Arifin polled only 23,796 - a 20.8 percent drop.

However, the number of votes for PAS was almost unchanged at 14,901 votes.

PAS blames lower turnout

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that PAS has cited the lower voter turnout as a contributing factor for its defeat.

 

Pahang PAS commissioner Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the drop of 13 percent in the turnout as compared to the 13th general election two years ago had somewhat impacted the number of votes its candidate obtained.

"If the turnout had been higher, it might have been a different story," he told reporters at PAS's election operations centre after the results were announced.

Umno’s Hasan had defeated PAS's candidate Nazri Ahmad by a majority of 8,895 votes.

    

Nazri said although PAS lost in Felda Keratong 5, his home base by just 13 votes, overall the party had increased its votes from the younger generation of voters.

"God willing, we will do better in the 14th general election," said,  Nazri, who is also Pahang PAS Youth chief.