KUALA LUMPUR – Penang DAP has rubbished Umno veteran Datuk Mustapha Yaakub’s claims that Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) defeat in the Sg Bakap by-election was due to the party’s failure to secure the Chinese vote.
Penang DAP secretary H’ng Mooi Lye labelled the accusations as unacceptable, asserting that all components of the PH government had made significant efforts to support their candidate but ultimately had to respect the electorate’s decision.
“There was no shortage of DAP leaders tirelessly campaigning in Sg Bakap throughout the campaign period. However, the results reflect the voters’ choice.
“We must accept and respect the decision while striving to bring about positive change and instil greater confidence in the people – not by blaming any party,” he said in a statement today.
H’ng noted that the unity government’s “wave of change” has been challenging for some to accept, resulting in diminished faith in the incumbent administration.
Nevertheless, he affirmed that the government would intensify its efforts to defend the people’s interests and implement beneficial policies.
The government also plans to focus more on grassroots engagement to improve services and regain public trust.
On Saturday, Perikatan Nasional retained the Sg Bakap seat against PH in the by-election with an increased majority of 4,267 votes compared to the previous state poll.
Following the defeat, Mustapha claimed that while Umno had exerted its best efforts during the campaign, the same could not be said for DAP.
He alleged that Umno had received information indicating that DAP did not sufficiently engage Chinese voters, leading to some being unaware of the by-election. He also pointed to the low turnout of 47% among Chinese voters, suggesting a lack of motivation to vote.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that PH respected the by-election’s outcome and accepted defeat, acknowledging that the people’s voices had been heard. – July 8, 2024