KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 – Former Wanita Umno chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz is confident that the Barisan Nasional (BN) will garner more voter support in the 13th general election (GE13) and win back the seats it lost to the opposition in the last elections.
She said BN had done analyses and in-depth studies on the factors that resulted in BN losing those states and had since taken various measures to overcome the weaknesses.
“Don’t forget that BN lost many seats narrowly. Perhaps the candidates were not suitable, the strategies wrong or due to other factors for the voters to reject BN as different areas had different needs.”
The former international trade and industry minister said that over the past five years, the Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states were short of achievements.
“But now I see some realisation (among the people). Those who did not belong to any political party but previously supported the oppositon for certain reasons, have now changed. I have the feeling we will win in Selangor and Perak,” she said.
Rafidah said the opposition still had hardcore supporters, so BN must work really hard to win more voter support.
“The (BN) candidates have been announced and I am happy to see a balanced combination of experienced leaders and new faces, who should be brought to the fore. The BN top leadersip has always realised the need to field new faces.
“I myself started (selected as a parliamentary seat candidate) at age 34 in Selayang. Don’t worry, they (young candidates) and be entrusted and relied upon by the ‘rakyat’ (people),” said Rafidah who was an economics lecturer at Universiti Malaya before going into politics.
Rafidah, who was the incumbent Kuala Kangsar MP for seven terms until the recent dissolution of Parliament to pave the way for GE13, said the old and new faces could pool their energies for continuity. Meanwhile, Rafidah denied that Wanita Umno was dissatisfied or had an issue with the selection of women candidates for GE13.
“I refute that Wanita Umno is opposed to the selection. (Wanita Umno chief) Datuk Seri Shahrizat herself did not object to it or say anything.
The one who spoke against it, did so individually but since she was one of the Wanita Umno leaders, the public regard what she said as the voice of Wanita Umno,” she explained. She said there were more women candidates selected this time but some were not well-known as they were still new and young.
BERNAMA
