BN must still improve despite twin wins, says DPM

Samy Vellu feeds Muhyiddin with a piece of cake, during the MIC Deepavali open house at the PWTC, November 5, 2010. — Bernama pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin warned today that the Barisan Nasional (BN) victories in Batu Sapi and Galas yesterday would be meaningless if the ruling federal coalition failed to harness the momentum.

Calling BN’s wins in the two by-elections an encouraging sign, the deputy prime minister said they should not be taken for granted.

“To me, this is only the beginning. We cannot assume that this trend will continue if we don’t take actions to double up our efforts,” he told reporters today at the MIC Deepavali open house at the Putra World Trade Centre.

Muhyiddin said the win in Galas, Kelantan, was especially significant as it was an opposition stronghold held by PAS.

“There are many quarters who had said that will be difficult for us to get through to the Kelantan voters because they are more inclined to PAS, but from this outcome, it shows that they are rational and can make evaluations about what the BN government has done,” he said.

He then attributed the both electoral wins to the government’s policies, the prime minister’s leadership and the hard work by the governing coalition since the political tsunami of Election 2008, when BN lost its customary two-thirds majority in Parliament.

When asked if this may be an indication of snap polls in the next year, Muhyiddin said the matter was up to the prime minister.
At today’s event, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu echoed Muhyiddin’s views on possible snap polls.

“We are like the army, whenever we get instructions from the prime minister, we will go out and work hard to make our party successful.

“When the general calls, the army has to follow,” he added.

In agreeing with the DPM that voters were now returning to BN's fold, Samy Vellu said: “It shows that they (the voters) want a government who can be with them, help them and help their children succeed in this country.”

The outgoing president then added that MIC will continue to work hard, regardless when the next general election will be called.

“As always, we will continue to strengthen ourselves for the next general election, and not just work hard when the election is near,” he said.

Yesterday, BN sailed to victory in both the Galas and Batu Sapi by-elections.

BN’s Abdul Aziz Yusoff wrested the PAS-held seat in Galas when he polled 5,324 votes against the Islamist party’s Dr Zulkefli Mohamad’s 4,134 votes, claiming victory with a 1,190-vote majority.

In Batu Sapi, BN’s Datin Linda Tsen Thau Lin clinched the seat with a 6,359-vote majority when she polled 9,773 votes against PKR Ansari Abdullah’s 3,414 votes and SAPP Yong’s 2,031 votes.