Nenggiri voter support remains firm for PN - Analyst

SHAH ALAM - Barisan Nasional (BN) faces an uphill battle in reclaiming the Nenggiri state seat despite a straightforward one-on-one contest against Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the upcoming by-election on Aug 17.

Political analyst Associate Professor Dr Nur Azuki Yusoff from Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) revealed that initial surveys conducted both before and on nomination day indicate that voter support patterns in Nenggiri remain largely unchanged, continuing to favour PN.

Azuki’s survey also revealed no significant shift in voter support from PN to BN or Umno candidates in the by-election compared to the 2023 state election.

In the previous state election, Mohd Azizi Abu Naim, running under the Pas ticket, secured the Nenggiri seat with 6,517 votes, a majority of 810, defeating the incumbent, Ab Aziz Yusoff from BN/Umno, who garnered 5,707 votes.

Azuki predicted that PN is likely to retain the Nenggiri seat in the by-election, though the majority achieved by their candidate may be lower than in the previous state election.

"Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamed Fadzli Hassan expressed confidence that PN can maintain the status quo in Nenggiri, citing the effectiveness of the campaign led by Pas Central Committee Member Tan Sri Annuar Musa, which has managed to penetrate many Umno strongholds, including Orang Asli villages.

"Previously, Pas’ machinery struggled to reach Orang Asli settlements, but Annuar’s involvement in the campaign has granted them access to these areas, although it remains uncertain whether they will vote for the PN candidate in the by-election," he said.

Azuki further pointed out that the appointment of veteran leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah as BN's election machinery director does not appear to significantly boost Umno’s chances of reclaiming the state seat, which was once a party stronghold.

"Even though Umno and Pas teams are now active in Nenggiri, the residents are not particularly enthusiastic and are merely waiting to see what attractive offers the contesting parties will present," he added.

The Nenggiri by-election will see a straight fight between BN's Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani and Bersatu’s Rizwadi Ismail, representing Perikatan Nasional. Rizwadi recently joined Bersatu from Pas.

According to the electoral roll, as of June 18, there are 20,259 eligible voters in Nenggiri, comprising 20,245 ordinary voters and 14 police officers. There will be no early voting.

BN won the Nenggiri seat for four consecutive elections since 2004 before losing it to PN in last year’s state election when Azizi defeated Umno’s Ab Aziz.