KUALA LUMPUR – PAS’ Bachok MP Mohd Syahir Che Sulaiman is facing a backlash for his apparent refusal to accept Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) defeat in both the Pulai and Simpang Jeram by-elections yesterday.
This criticism stems from a recent Facebook post in which he implied that voters in these areas chose Pakatan Harapan (PH) because they were “fanatics” and “scared.” He suggested that those who voted for PN were individuals who were more moderate and sought stability in their choices.
“Vote for PH = Fanatics (Hardcore) + Scared. Vote for PN = Awareness (On The Fence) + Stability,” he wrote.
Furthermore, as political secretary to the PAS president, he insinuated that even though PH won, its support was waning, while support for PN was growing despite its electoral loss.
“The victors’ support is decreasing while the defeated’s support is increasing. The defeated are rising. Let’s continue the journey,” he said.
In response, a number of netizens urged Syahir to accept the election results as the will of the voters, cautioning him against making statements solely to boost his ego.
“People with values accept that everything happens according to God’s will, rather than commenting just to make themselves feel better,” social media user Puteri said.
Another user by the name of Syuaib said: “Enough is enough; what’s done is done”, while another netizen Ashraf said: “You shouldn’t jump to your own conclusions.”
A netizen named Nass told Syahir: “You seem to be doing this just to boost your self-esteem.”
Some users even used the post as fodder for humour.
“What kind of stability is PN talking about? Hahaha, this is absurd,” commented one user.
“Congratulations to PN for defeating an independent candidate,” another social media user named Tommy said.
Another netizen, Ezat said: “PN is acting like Man U (English football team Manchester United), right YB? Offering a multitude of excuses when defeated.”
In yesterday’s election results, PH’s Suhaizan Kayat secured 48,238 votes, defeating PN candidate Zulkifli Jaafar, who received 29,642 votes. Independent Samsudin Mohamad Fauzi garnered only 528 votes and consequently lost his deposit.
This victory marked Suhaizan’s first successful bid as an assemblyman after experiencing six prior electoral losses.
Meanwhile, PH’s Nazri Abdul Rahman clinched victory in Simpang Jeram with a 3,514-vote majority. The Bakri Amanah deputy chief received 13,844 votes, outperforming PN’s Dr Mohd Mazri Yahya, who secured 10,330 votes. Independent S. Jeganathan received a mere 311 votes and also lost his deposit. – September 10, 2023