KUALA LUMPUR – Umno information chief Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has raised the question of whether the Barisan Nasional (BN) linchpin should consider contesting elections under the party logo instead of the coalition’s signature “dacing” (scale).
Her proposal comes after BN’s dismal performance – winning 19 out of the 108 seats – in the six state elections on August 12. BN also failed to make inroads in Kedah and Terengganu.
“Is it time for the party to contest under the Umno ticket in the next election? Should we continue (contesting) under the BN flag or under BN with a new alliance?”
Azalina, who is also minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), added that there are bigger issues to be addressed even though it is “easy” for certain quarters to place the blame on BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for the coalition’s loss at the polls.
“It is easy to urge (Zahid) to step down (as BN chairman), but BN is an institution. Why is everything placed on (Zahid’s) shoulders when he did not even contest the state elections?
“In any election, the winning formula considers factors such as candidates, voters, and challenges. (As such), what we need to change is not our president (Zahid), but the way we work and operate our campaigns,” she said in a statement today.
She added that one of the main challenges the coalition faces is the online psywar as the conventional approach of physical campaigns is no longer effective.
“BN must understand and admit that we have a deficit in knowledge and control over digital platforms, while our opponents did not hold back financially when using online means to influence voters.
“We have no laws that can restrict the usage of digital platforms, as the platform providers are based abroad. Moving forward, BN, along with the unity government, must be ready to transform into a party that can master digital technology.”
Rival Perikatan Nasional won 146 seats, while BN’s ally Pakatan Harapan secured 80. – August 22, 2023