SHAH ALAM, June 24 — Amanah communications director Khalid Abdul Samad today expressed his confidence in Pakatan Harapan (PH) retaining Selangor based on expectations of voter turnout and vote transferability between PH and Barisan Nasional (BN) voters.
PH is confident that it can achieve a two-thirds majority over the 56 seats in the Selangor state legislative assembly, he told reporters at a press conference after the PH Selangor state election machinery launch at Dataran Kemerdekaan in Shah Alam this evening.
“We will make sure that our supporters come out in full force because they feel that they will have to come and defend Selangor from being taken over by a group of opportunists and religious extremists,” he said.
A few seats were a little risky for the coalition, but overall, its position in the state polls is secure, he added.
PH is hoping that BN voters will vote for it and likewise for PH voters to vote for BN as part of the voter transferability strategy the two partners in the unity government were planning on using for the coming state elections, he explained.
Meanwhile, Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu, popularly known as Mat Sabu, told reporters at the same event that Opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) cannot keep playing on the same religious sentiments to win votes for much longer.
“I said just now (in my speech), like the issue of Islam being threatened.
“Now after seven months (of the unity government being in power), they (voters) can see that nothing is being threatened.
“So all the youngsters, god willing, will return to us,” he said.
He added that the allocation of seats was nearly finished.
Besides that, he commented on Tony Pua’s recent swipe at BN, in which the latter called the coalition corrupt.
Mat Sabu said that it was Pua’s personal opinion and said that DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke had already stated the party’s official stand.
Loke had said that Pua’s comments were “uncalled for” and not reflective of the party’s views.
Yesterday, the 14th Selangor legislative assembly was dissolved to make way for elections in the state.
PH-held states Penang and Negeri Sembilan as well as PN-controlled states Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu will also be facing state elections.
The six states had rejected holding polls concurrently with the 15th general election (GE15) to protest it being held at the same time as the annual flood season in the peninsular.
