Better Chance At Tier Ii Seats With Bn Ph Alliance Says Umno Man

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Johor Umno Youth chief Noor Azleen Ambros said an alliance would also ensure the seats are contested in a two-way fight.
PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional would stand a better chance at winning second-tier parliamentary seats by joining forces with Pakatan Harapan at the next general election, says Johor Umno youth leader Noor Azleen Ambros.
He said an electoral collaboration would allow the two coalitions to benefit from each others’ strengths in wooing fence-sitters.
Noor Azleen Ambros.“This arrangement would also ensure the seats are contested in a two-way fight, which improves our chances,” he told FMT.
Azleen was responding to comments by Ilham Centre executive director Hisommudin Bakar, who said that BN would face a major challenge in winning over young fence-sitters in Tier II seats, particularly those aged 18 to 20.
On Sunday, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi expressed confidence in the party’s ability to secure Tier II seats – those in which the coalition came second in the 2022 general election.
However, Hisommudin said BN had struggled to secure the youth vote in 2022, and suffered its worst electoral defeat, winning only 30 seats.
Azleen said the government’s performance would play a crucial role in attracting young voters. “As part of the government, we need to ensure our policies resonate with young voters, especially regarding wages, housing, and the cost of living,” he added.
However, he acknowledged that some government policies, such as subsidy reforms – particularly the targeted subsidies for RON95 petrol expected to be introduced in the middle of this year – might be unpopular among young voters.
Subang Umno chief Arman Azha Abu Hanifah said Hisommudin’s views were personal and did not reflect the reality.
“In the 2022 general election, BN was up against two big parties, Perikatan Nasional and PH, and attacks from both sides led to our poor performance,” he said.
He also said that support from young voters had been improving, citing recent by-elections in Nenggiri, Kelantan, and Mahkota, Johor, where BN saw increased youth backing.
“We should not be too comfortable. We must keep working and focus on winning the Tier II seats,” he said.
Arman also suggested that if BN continues its alliance with PH, Umno should request that PH make way for BN in some semi-urban and urban seats.
“It’s important to have a winning mentality and minimise internal fighting. We need to maintain our momentum to retain our seats and regain the ones we lost,” he said. - FMT

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