Rafidah: Some seats lost in 2008 because BN members spoilt their votes

By ROSHIDI ABU SAMAH



LUMUT: Former Wanita Umno chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said some seats that the Barisan Nasional lost in the 2008 general elections were due to its own members spoiling the votes.

“In some constituencies, the number of spoilt votes was bigger than the winning majority obtained by Barisan’s opponents.

“It was clear that the spoilt votes were cast by Barisan members as a sign of protest (against the chosen candidate),” Rafidah, who is Kuala Kangsar MP, said in her speech at the Perak Barisan convention at the Dewan Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib at Marina Island here Saturday.

The former international trade and industry minister, known as the Iron Lady in her 20 years as a minister before she was dropped in 2008, said Barisan members must remain disciplined to win comfortably in the next general election.

“Based on my experience, some members will boycott and shut down their operation room if their preferred candidate is not chosen by the leadership,” she said.

Past Gerakan president and former energy, water and communications minister Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik advised those aspiring to be election candidates to be patient and wait for their turn.

“I was the Gerakan deputy president in 1978 and I was not chosen as a candidate for the general election that year. Yet, I did not complain. Be patient,” he said in his speech.

Dr Lim said Barisan members must study the reasons why the people rejected the ruling coalition at the last general election and make an effort to change in order to regain the people’s support.

Responding to the points raised by the two party stalwarts, Perak Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said Barisan’s dire results in the last election had been a valuable lesson for members to give undivided support to candidates chosen by the leadership.

Expressing confidence that there would not be any sabotage by party members in the next election, Dr Zambry, who is Perak Mentri Besar said: “The last general election taught us a lesson. I am sure members will not again gamble Barisan’s future by supporting the opposition, just because they do not like the candidates.”

Dr Zambry, who had opened the convention earlier, said the state Barisan would select only those who were likeable and winnable for the next general election, as instructed by Barisan chief and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

A total of 2,175 delegates attended the one-day convention.