Three-cornered fights cost BN GE14, claims Najib
Former BN chairperson Najib Abdul Razak last night admitted that the strategy to go for three-cornered fights had resulted in the coalition losing the 14th general election.
Speaking at a dialogue session in Langkawi, he told audience that the strategy was aimed at splitting non-Umno votes between PAS and Pakatan Harapan so that Umno would get the majority.
This, Najib added, was based on results of pre-GE14 by-elections where BN won when there were three-cornered fights with PAS and Amanah...
Former BN chairperson Najib Abdul Razak last night admitted that the strategy to go for three-cornered fights had resulted in the coalition losing the 14th general election.
Speaking at a dialogue session in Langkawi, he told the audience that the strategy was aimed at splitting non-Umno votes between PAS and Pakatan Harapan so that Umno would get the majority.
This, Najib added, was based on results of pre-GE14 by-elections where BN won when there were three-cornered fights with PAS and Amanah.
"That plan was based on the results of the Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar by-elections in 2016 when Umno, which led the BN coalition, faced off against PAS and PH party Amanah,” Najib said at the dialogue, according to The Malaysian Insight.
It quoted Najib speaking at a dialogue titled “Umno and PAS to defend Islam and Malay power” held at Wisma Umno. The former prime minister shared the stage with Langkawi PAS chief Zubir Ahmad.
Najib, who stepped down as Umno president in the days following BN's defeat in GE14, conceded that their calculation was wrong.
"In our early estimates, based on the Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar by-elections, where there were three-cornered contests, BN won both seats by bigger majorities (than GE13).
"That is where our estimates were wrong. In reality, when there were three-cornered contests (in GE14), they were a disadvantage to us," he said.
Umno-PAS could have won 30 seats
The GE14 results, Najib added, showed that Umno and PAS could have won another 30 parliamentary seats if they had worked together then.
"With the 30 seats, plus the seats from Sabah and Sarawak, we could have formed the government."
BN won 79 seats, while PAS bagged 18 seats at the May 9 general election last year – 15 seats short of the 112 needed to form the government.
The portal also quoted Zubir as agreeing with Najib, saying that both Umno and PAS would be able to wrest Kedah in the next general election if they were to cooperate.
Zubir stressed that Umno and PAS needed to find common cause in defending Islam and the Malays.
"When Malays and Islam are being pressured, Umno and PAS must find a way to unite."
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.