ALOR GAJAH: The implementation of 'Undi18' and the automatic voter registration system pose a challenge for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the upcoming Melaka state election, which will take place next month.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said therefore the BN machinery must strengthen its strategies to engage these new voters moving beyond reliance on traditional methods alone to ensure that support for the party is maintained.
"In the past, we could register voters, collect their names, and keep them in our own 'basket. We could gauge whether we would win if we contested in a particular area. However, with the inclusion of new voters which encompasses not only those aged 18 but also people aged 60 and above who had never voted before the situation changed.
"We didn't know who these people were or where they came from, as they were registered as voters automatically... in the end, we lost the Alor Gajah parliamentary seat," he said while officiating the launch of the Barisan Nasional (BN) election machinery for the Alor Gajah parliamentary constituency at Dewan Kampung Permai, Machap Umboo, today.
The Melaka BN chairman noted that although the coalition secured a resounding victory in the 2021 Melaka state election, this success could not be replicated during the 15th general election (GE15), where the coalition lost all six parliamentary seats.
The Election Commission (EC) had previously set the polling day for the Melaka State Election for Nov 14, with candidate nominations on Oct 31 and early voting on Nov 10.
In the 2021 Melaka state election, BN won 21 out of the 28 contested seats, enabling it to form the state government, while Pakatan Harapan (PH) won five seats and Perikatan Nasional (PN) secured two.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd