State polls: PH can keep dreaming, says Sanusi on 10 per cent swing votes

LANGKAWI: Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Sei Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor says it is just wishful thinking by Pakatan Harapan (PH) to win Kedah via 10 per cent swing votes.

"PH can keep dreaming if they think they can win Kedah in the upcoming polls. This is because a 10 per cent swing (transition to another party) is difficult in politics.

"Especially considering the support pattern of voters in Kedah, it is difficult to swing the Malay voters here.

"It is okay; they can keep dreaming," he said during a press conference after a Langkawi Unesco Global Geopark (LUGGp) dinner event last night.

Sanusi, who is also the Kedah Perikatan Nasional election director said the voters support during the 15th General Election (GE15) showed PN is a popular choice among the people, where 14 out of 15 parliamentary seats were won by the coalition.

"I believe the wave will remain strong until the state election. It is difficult to change the people's support for PN and move to another party," he added.

He was commenting on Kedah PH chief Datuk Mahfuz Omar’s comment that the coalition, along with Barisan Nasional (BN), are confident that they will be able to form the next state government if they secure 10 per cent of the votes in the coming state election.

Last Sunday, Mahfuz was reported as saying that PH and BN only needed six to seven per cent of votes to swing from PN voters to win 16 out of the 36 state seats in Kedah based on the last general election.

Kedah had 36 seats prior to the dissolution of the Kedah State Legislative Assembly, which saw PN have 20 seats (PAS-14, Bersatu-six); PH controls 10 seats (PKR-five, Amanah-three, DAP-two); BN won two seats (UMNO-two); and Pejuang has two seats.

The Kedah state assembly was dissolved on June 28, and elections must be held within 60 days of the dissolution.