Correct strategy can help BN win in Penang
GEORGE TOWN, March 29 (Bernama) -- The Barisan Nasional (BN) must work hard and have the right strategy if it wants to recapture Penang in the 14th general election (GE14), political analyst Prof Datuk Seri Dr Syed Arabi Idid said.
A professor in the International Islamic University of Malaysia's (UIAM) Department of Communication, he said, besides strategy, the factor of candidates was important, especially in the urban area to decide which party would win.
"My study prior, to this, found that (voters) in urban areas look at candidates. It is important for BN to select candidates who are liked by voters.
"Selecting candidates whom voters agree to are the ones who will help BN win," he told reporters after presenting a lecture titled 'Syed Hussein Idid - A Brief History' here today.
Syed Arabi said the candidates should also approach the voters personally by making door-to-door visits for voters to accept them in the constituencies to be contested.
Penang is now under DAP rule after Pakatan Harapan won in the last two general elections. In the 13th general election, DAP won 19 state seats, Parti Keadilan Rakyat 10 seats and PAS one seat while BN through UMNO won in 10 state seats.
Asked about PAS's intention to contest in 144 parliamentary seats in GE14, Syed Arabi said the party's move would lead to a three-cornered fight in which it is unclear which party would benefit.
"PAS alone is not very strong, and based on the past achievement of the party, it only controls less than 20 per cent of the parliamentary seats.
"So far, we do not know the three-cornered contests will benefit which party. PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said he wants to field candidates in 144 seats. PAS never have this many candidates," he said.
Earlier, Syed Arabi delivered a lecture on the history of the well-known figure at the beginning of Penang's development, Tengku Syed Hussein Idid who played a key role in the history of the British colony when Penang was at the forefront of development and trade in Southeast Asia.
-- BERNAMA
