KUALA LUMPUR: The loss of Umno-Barisan Nasional in the Kemaman by-election is due to some Umno members who are lackeys of DAP.
Umno Supreme Council member Isham Jalil claimed that Umno was still being rejected by the Malays because the party, which should be advocating for Malays and Islam, had deviated and is now willing to become a "lackey of DAP".
"The reason for our defeat in the Kemaman by-election is that there are Umno members promoting DAP within the party. It's enough that they are apple polishers of DAP.
"Don't let it be that as when the interests of DAP are threatened, these apple polishers are the ones who suffer the most.
"They are so eager to defend DAP to the point of becoming staunch supporters. Malays don't like that.
"The more you 'lick,' the more you defend DAP; that's when the Malays will reject us, and we will lose in elections. We need to be aware of that," he said in a video posted on his Facebook.
Isham was commenting on the results of the Kemaman by-election on Saturday, where PAS, through its candidate Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, retained the parliamentary seat with a majority of 37,220 votes, defeating BN candidate Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor.
Raja Mohamed Affandi received 27,778 votes, a decrease from the 38,535 votes received by Datuk Seri Ahmad Said in the 15th General Election.
Isham also stressed that Umno should return to the unity of Malay parties if it wanted to regain the trust of Malays, who had now shifted their support to Perikatan Nasional (PN).
"We need to confront head on with these 'stooges' dividing the Malays.
"We need to realise within Umno and improve ourselves so that we become relevant again and gain the support of the Malays. Let's work towards the unity of Malays in this country, he said."
Yesterday, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that the latest Kemaman by-election result signalled the end of Umno in the next 16th General Election (GE16).
However, International Islamic University Malaysia Associate Professor of Political Science Dr Syaza Farhana Mohamad Shukri said it was a fallacy to generalise the results of the Kemaman polls to a broader political context, interpreting it as a sign of the downfall of the unity government.
"I think it is a fallacy for Tun M or anyone for that matter to extend the result in Kemaman to the larger political narrative.
"The observation is that PAS' votes remained consistent, while the decline in BN's votes may be attributed to the perceived invincibility of PAS in the area.
"The victory is acknowledged as a morale boost for PN, but it is emphasised that Kemaman's unique context renders the results neither indicative of an increase nor decrease in the overall political landscape," she said.
Syaza believes that Umno will not be easily eradicated from the nation's political arena but it is timely for the party to strategise and plan to garner support from the younger generation.
"I think Umno can still survive, but it requires a significant effort to position Umno as the Malay party of the 21st century.
"Perhaps they will lose support from the older generation, but this presents an opportunity for Umno to gain the support of the younger generation."