‘Barisan win shows voters want political stability'

The Star

28-04-2025

Hello there: Mohamad Yusri greeting locals in Batu Tiga following his by-election victory. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: The Ayer Kuning by-election has delivered a significant message – voters are prioritising political stability and national prosperity over extre­mism and divisive politics, say political leaders and analysts.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the Barisan Nasional victory, with Tapah Umno secretary Dr Moha­mad Yusri Bakir securing a 5,006-vote majority, reflected growing grassroots support for moderate, multicultural and progressive political ideals.
'This marks three consecutive by-election victories with overwhelming majorities for Barisan, especially Umno, after successes in Nenggiri and Mahkota.
Tuan Ibrahim attributed Perikatan's loss to low voter turnout. — Bernama 'It demonstrates that voters have rejected extreme and unethical politics that promote hatred, racism, verbal abuse, slander and false accusations,' he said, adding that the win reaffirmed the Barisan-Pakatan Harapan partnership.
On Saturday, Mohamad Yusri won with 11,065 votes in a contest against Perikatan Nasional's Abd Muhaimin Malek and KS Bawani of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).
Universiti Malaya's Prof Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said the result served as a wake-up call for Perikatan, which had expected to strengthen its grassroots influence in Ayer Kuning.
'Instead, it shows Barisan's narrative is resonating better with Malay voters who value stability and familiarity,' he said.
However, he cautioned that Malay support was not uniform across the country, and future elections would provide clearer insights.
International Islamic University Malaysia's Asst Prof Lau Zhe Wei noted that non-Malay voters, particularly the Chinese community, continued to shy away from third-force parties such as PSM and Muda.
'This does not mean there's no sympathy for them, but sympathy alone has yet to translate into votes,' he said, adding that a stronger third force would be healthy for Malaysian politics in the long run.
Nusantara Academy for Stra­tegic Research senior fellow Dr Azmi Hassan said while the results were encouraging for Barisan and Pakatan at both the state and federal levels, the partnership still needed to work harder to address grassroots concerns.
'The margin should have been wider. Malay voters turned out in strong numbers but non-Malay voter turnout was noticeably lower, possibly because they viewed it as a Barisan stronghold,' he said.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's Assoc Prof Dr Mazlan Ali agreed, adding that the result showed growing acceptance of the Barisan-Pakatan cooperation, particularly among Malay voters.
He said the win reinforced the partnership among the parties within the government, which is likely to continue until the next general election.
Meanwhile, PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man attributed Perikatan's loss to the low voter turnout and alleged abuse of government machinery.
'The Election Commission (EC)must do more to ensure higher turnouts during by-elections,' he said at PAS' national Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house in Lukut, Negri Sembilan.
Tuan Ibrahim claimed that many of the party's outstation supporters had already returned during Aidilfitri and could not get leave again to vote.
He also dismissed claims that Perikatan's focus on pig farms had alienated voters, insisting it was a genuine environmental and public health issue raised by both Malays and non-Malays.
He argued that despite the loss, Perikatan had made 'inroads' and managed to secure over 6,000 votes.
Tuan Ibrahim said Perikatan would conduct a full post-mortem of the campaign early next month and called for the EC to address irregularities raised by political observers, including groups such as Bersih.