Response to Forum: Will BN or PR Win The Election

Ibrahim Suffian from the Merdeka Centre statement during the forum that BN will regain back its two-thirds majority in Parliament and that Pakatan Rakyat will lose a few seats has prompted some Pakatan leaders to do some soul searching and issued some statements. Below are some excerpts from the Edge:


PR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Permatang Pauh-PKR) said the opposition coalition would "take note of that" but attributed Najib's increasing appeal to a "very well-organised campaign" by international communications firm Apco Worldwide, engaged by Najib.


"They are smart in spinning the news and (have) effective control of the media, more effective than in the past, so they have been able to impress the general public that Najib represents change ...


"But I think given the track record in the last few months and the next few months, I think it will dissipate," Anwar told reporters in parliament today.




Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (Bagan-DAP) said while Najib was "stronger than the BN", it still remained to be seen whether the premier could transform the BN "not to be a crony government".


"The outcome (of the general election) will still be determined by the people. There is always ebb and flow in politics. People will see which government can best protect their interests," Lim said.


M Kulasegaran (Ipoh Barat-DAP) said Najib's rising popularity could not be denied but that could not be equated with the ruling party's popularity.


Kulasegaran said his biggest concern was that PR would "be fizzled out" unless the PR-led state governments could successfully outperform their BN predecessors.


PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub (Kubang Kerian-PAS) urged PR not to "under-rate" what Najib had done in the last few months .


"The most important thing is that PAS must anticipate the tactics that Najib is undertaking in these few months. He is making headway and trying very hard," he said.


"But I don't underrate him (Najib) as a politician and in the upcoming election we have to take all that into account."


The full report can be found here: PR: Najib may be popular but can BN win?

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