MELAKA: Barisan Nasional election machinery for the Melaka polls must not become complacent or overconfident about voter support, as voting patterns can change at any time, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said.
He said the results of previous elections showed that voter support was not necessarily permanent, and that any changes in voting patterns should be taken seriously.
Party workers must continue working hard to engage with voters and not assume BN candidates’ victories are guaranteed based solely on the party’s strength or past performance.
“Do not be too confident that our candidates will win, as voter patterns can change at any time.
“Before the last general election, BN won many seats in Melaka and we managed to form the state government.
“But a few months later, we lost the parliamentary seats. This shows that voter patterns are very dynamic,” he said.
Wan Rosdy was speaking at the Santai Anak Muda DUN Sungai Udang programme with BN candidate Datuk Rais Yasin at the main operations room for the Tangga Batu parliamentary constituency in Sungai Udang last night.
The Pahang Menteri Besar, who is also Pahang BN chairman, said party machinery should make full use of the remaining campaign period, which was less than two weeks, by focusing on voters whose preferences had yet to be identified.
He also cautioned party workers against becoming too comfortable, urging them to continue reaching out to as many voters as possible in the constituency.
More than 29,000 voters in Sungai Udang needed to be engaged, he said, adding that party supporters must also be encouraged to turn out to vote on Nov 14.
“Party machinery must work hard. We have only a few more days, so ‘do not sleep’ or become complacent. After Nov 14, then you can sleep.
“Make the most of the remaining time, focus on the voters and identify our supporters,” he said.