Guan Eng: Learn lessons from by-election results, address shortcomings
SEBERANG JAYA, Jan 27 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) is to learn lessons from its loss in the Cameron Highlands by-election yesterday and will work even harder in the next by-election in March.
Its deputy president, Lim Guan Eng said although the PH candidate M. Manogaran lost in the Cameron Highlands by-election, Barisan Nasional’s (BN) majority was reduced from 4,184 votes in the 14th General Election (GE14) last year to 3,238 this time.
According to him, BN’s win yesterday was also helped by support from the MIC and MCA for Umno’s campaign in the by-election.
“We will learn lessons from this by-election to improve on things that need to be improved and to address the shortcomings in facing the next by-election.
“This is because there are signs that if we continue to work hard, we will get more support,” he told reporters after the handing-out of aid for primary and secondary students in the Bagan parliamentary constituency, here, today.
Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, said while the number of voters dropped by 10 per cent from 79 per cent in GE14 to 69 per cent yesterday, PH still managed to increase its popular votes and reduce BN’s majority.
He said the votes for the PH candidate increased to 41 per cent this time from 38 per cent in GE14.
“Definitely we were disappointed with the loss yesterday, but our success in increasing the popular votes and reducing BN’s majority will encourage us to continue the fight and learn lessons from this by-election to improve ourselves and our election machinery for the future,” he said.
Lim noted that PH supporters in Tanah Rata recorded a significant drop of almost 15 per cent in the by-election, perhaps because there were voters who did not return to vote as the by-election was just a week before the Chinese New Year celebration.
He, however, congratulated BN candidate Ramli Mohd. Nor on his victory and being the first Orang Asli elected representative in the Dewan Rakyat.
In the Cameron Highlands by-election yesterday, BN retained the seat when Ramli obtained12,038 votes compared to Manogaran’s 8,800 votes, while the Independent candidates, former lecturer Sallehudin Ab Talib and farmer Wong Seng Yee received 314 and 276 votes respectively. — Bernama
Source: MalayMail
