People reject unity government: Muhyiddin
At a press conference at around 1am on Sunday, PN leader Mr Mukaidin said the coalition’s results were overall „very encouraging”.
„The state elections are a people’s vote to reject the coalition government led by Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional,” he said at Concord Shah Alam.
„Anwar Ibrahim and Zahid Hamidi should take responsibility for this debacle and resign as Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister respectively.”
Former Prime Minister Mr Mukaidin outlined that the coalition won 106 of the 245 seats contested in 6 states, a 60 per cent success rate.
He also said the coalition’s success in securing the states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah was „proof” that the Malay heartland was behind the coalition.
He also praised the PN’s performance in winning 22 seats in Selangor, which had held just 5 seats before the dissolution of the state assembly.
„The PN’s victory in these 22 seats means we have denied the PH-BN Selangor government a two-thirds majority in a state previously considered their stronghold,” said Mr Mukaidin.
„It is clear that the PN’s success in gaining the support of the Malay electorate means that the PN is the primary choice for Malay nationalists at this stage. UMNO has won only 19 of the 108 seats contested, so it is no longer relevant,” said Mr Mukaidin.
Respect people’s will: Anwar
In a short speech shortly before midnight in Kuala Lumpur, a tired looking Mr Anwar said the people had made their choice through the ballot and this should be respected. He didn’t take questions.
“It is the people’s decision. In a democratic system, the decision of the people should be respected. Show respect by accepting the election results,” he said at the World Trade Center, where top PH-BN leaders had gathered to witness the results firsthand.
The Prime Minister said that the unity government at the federal level is still strong and strong and will work hard to serve the people in line with the recently announced economic framework of Madani.
God willing from Monday, Malaysia will work hard to achieve a victory we can be proud of,” he said.
While Mr Anwar admitted that the country’s political heat had risen during the campaign period, he said it was time for the country to move on.
„This is the time for everyone and all parties, win or lose, to maintain peace and focus on uplifting the dignity of the country and protecting the people,” he added.
PN aims to win next several states: Sanusi
Beyond making inroads in Selangor and Penang, the PN also strengthened its hold in the northwestern state of Kedah, where it won 33 seats out of 36 states. The alliance won 20 seats before the dissolution of the state assembly.
During the campaign, PH-BN eyed Kedah as a winnable state, with Mr Anwar making several stops to spread support.
The state’s popular but polarizing chief minister, Muhammad Sanusi MD Nor, was arrested and charged with sedition after allegedly insulting the Selangor ruler. Observers said the move could have made him a „martyr”.
Thousands of PN’s Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) supporters gathered at the party’s state headquarters in Pentang, Kedah to celebrate the victory. Each announcement of victory was greeted with loud cheers.
In his speech at the headquarters, Muhammad Sanusi said it was clear that Mr Anwar and BN leader Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is deputy prime minister, had not done enough to win the support of the Kedahans.
„We will form a government in Kedah and I want to make it clear to our enemies that we will not ignore any resident. We will use Islam as a guide while leading this government,” said Muhammad Sanusi. The seat of Genery.
Speaking to reporters, Muhammad Sanusi said the number of seats the PN won in Selangor and Penang was a „good sign” that opened up the possibility of capturing both states in subsequent elections.
„Each place is important… we have to focus our resources (on winning) in these two states in future,” he added.