BN must learn from defeat, fault lies with leaders: Khairy

KUALA LUMPUR - Barisan Nasional (BN) must digest the emphatic message delivered by Malaysians at the ballot box on Wednesday, said outgoing Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin on Thursday, adding candidly that the flaws of the coalition can be attributed to its leaders.

BN suffered a crushing defeat in the election, losing power for the first time in over six decades.

“This defeat is a clear message from the public that Umno and BN must clearly envision everything before taking any steps,” he said in a Facebook post on Thursday (May 10), referring to BN lynchpin party United Malays National Organisation (Umno), where he is youth chief.

“Moving forward, we need better political moves and to always prioritise the people’s interests, because the people and grassroots are our pulse,” he wrote in Malay, adding that power must be transferred smoothly and quickly so as not to deny Malaysians their choice.

“This party and its members have contributed to the country and its people for over 60 years - the shortcomings come from us, its leaders.”

In a separate post on Instagram at around the same time, he apologised to supporters for letting them down.

“To those that did not, I respect your decision. We tried our best. But our best was simply not good enough," he wrote in English, as he urged the new government to work for the country.

“I will hold you accountable on behalf of our people as a member of the opposition. Just as you did previously,” he added.

“Let us show the world that Malaysia can reunite after all that has been said and done. For all of us to build a better tomorrow.”

Mr Khairy’s comments came hours after BN President Najib Razak addressed his ruling coalition's historic electoral loss for the first time, saying that he would "accept the verdict of the people".

But he stopped short of conceding power, saying that it was up to the King to appoint a new Prime Minister as no single party won "a simple majority" in the country's 14th General Election on Wednesday.

Less than an hour after Mr Najib's comments, opposition leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad told a separate press conference that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance had won a "clear majority" and was "entitled" to form the next Government.

Dr Mahathir added that he expected to be appointed the country's seventh prime minister by 5pm on Thursday so that he could form a new government.

He added: "We must form the government now as Malaysia (currently) has no government. The PH has already won a clear majority and we are therefore entitled to form the government. We stand by the rule of law."

Results of Wednesday's polls showed that PH had won a combined 113 Parliamentary seats out of 222 that were up for grabs. Its component parties, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Democratic Action Party, Bersatu, and Amanah, won 49, 42, 12 and 10 seats respectively.

BN won 79 parliamentary seats, sharply down from the 133 seats it clinched in the last election in 2013.

"Since there is no party that got a simple majority, the King will make a decision on who will be appointed as the next Prime Minister," Datuk Seri Najib pointed out at his press conference.

He added: "BN will respect the decision of the King, and urge all Malaysians to be calm and trust the King to make the best decision."

At Thursday's press conference, Mr Najib did not take questions or give a detailed explanation as to why BN suffered multiple unexpected setbacks, including losing hitherto stronghold states like Johor.

He acknowledged, however, that "we were lacking in governing the country". The outgoing premier, whose political career is seen as over despite him retaining his Pekan seat, did not elaborate.

In his parting comment, Mr Najib said: "I am very much lucky to have been given the mandate to rule the country, and thank all the other component parties in BN."

The opposition's victory on Wednesday was emphatic, defeating BN in states such as Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Kedah, Perak and Malacca, while retaining Penang and Selangor.

Johor, the birthplace of the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), BN's main component party, was widely seen as unassailable.

BN also lost Terengganu to Parti Islam Se-Malaysia, which retained control of its stronghold in Kelantan. In a further rebuke to BN, eight of its ministers and 19 deputy ministers lost their parliamentary seats.

Mr Khairy survived in his Rembau federal seat and had been among the more prominent BN leaders in the run up to the general election, appearing in videos that attempted to convince voters about the inadvisability of choosing an unknown coalition to govern.

The videos were mocked mercilessly online, however, in early indications of the mood that swept the country and gave Malaysia the first non-BN government in its history.

BN’s bruising defeat in Wednesday’s polls took many by surprise, given that several factors were working to the coalition’s advantage.

For instance, the redrawing of electoral boundaries, calling the election for a Wednesday — derided as a tactic to put off millions of Malaysians living abroad casting their vote — and dishing out cash payments were expected to favour the incumbents, said Dr Francis Hutchinson, the coordinator of the Malaysia Studies Programme at the Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

Also, the Malaysian economy is expanding at an expected 5 to 6 per cent — a rate not typically associated with an upheaval, said Dr Hutchinson.

Dr Serina Abdul Rahman, a colleague of Dr Hutchinson’s at the institute, said there were many obstacles that appeared to prevent a landslide win by PH.

“The amazing thing was that even with all those hurdles, there was such a huge swing to the opposition. The margins were beyond expectations,” she said.

Dr Hutchinson added that though recent polls showed a substantial level of backing for BN and slightly lower support for PH, it was clear with hindsight that respondents who did not know or were unwilling to state their voting preferences were “coded support for the opposition”.

Agreeing, Dr Khoo Ying Hooi, a senior lecturer at the University of Malaya’s department of international and strategic studies, felt this silent majority were the “decision-makers to a certain extent”.

Ultimately, the anger festering over issues such as the escalating cost of living, the 6 per cent Goods and Services Tax, and a string of scandals revolving around economic mismanagement, including at the state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad, led to BN’s loss, the observers said.  ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY KENNETH CHENG IN JOHOR