Umno needs a leader to match Kedah MB's popularity, says expert

SHAH ALAM - Umno needs a leader that can match Menteri Besar Kedah Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor's popularity in Kedah, says expert.

Political analyst Associate Professor Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said Kedah has always been a battleground for Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH), and now Perikatan Nasioanal (PN) because of the competition to gain Malay support.

"Even so, they still need non-Malay support, especially in mixed-seat areas, in order to get more seats than in the 2018 state elections.

"With BN and PH working under the Unity Government banner, their performance at the national level can become a yardstick for voters to evaluate because the state-federal relationship is pertinent as well," he said to Sinar Daily.

Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) political analyst Dr Abdul Aziz Azizam said Kedahans choose their candidates based on the candidates' capabilities and leadership qualities towards the majority, rather than relying solely on popularity.

"However, the introduction of the "new deal" strategy through the collaboration between the BN and PH is expected to give rise to a highly anticipated new narrative within the realm of political observers and the general public.

"This scenario is predicted to generate clashes and contradictions in the preexisting narratives between the two parties," he said.

Commenting further, Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Dr Oh Ei Sun said the Unity government is gunning for the non-Malay votes.

"It would appear that knowing they could pin scarcely any hope of winning significant Malay votes, the unity government is gunning for the non-Malay votes, which is a small minority in Kedah, which could perhaps still yield them a seat or two so that they won’t suffer a humiliating defeat," he reasoned.