PM: It depends on the mood survey

Women power: Delegates spiritedly cheering during the Wanita Barisan Nasional Convention in Kuala Lumpur. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister will ask for Parliament to be dissolved if a mood survey by Wanita Barisan Nasional provides some assurance that the coalition has a chance of victory in the general election, saying that they “cannot go to war in the dark”.

Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he wanted Wanita Barisan to conduct a thorough study to assess the mood on the ground for the coming polls.

“We cannot go to war in the dark. We don’t know our strengths. How do we get voters on polling day if we don’t have this survey?” he said, adding that the coalition could not just rely on support from Barisan members only.

“Barisan’s membership is only about 30%. The rest are not with us and there are some who may be on the fence,” he said, adding that the coalition would not come out victorious in the next general election simply by relying on the votes of its members.

“Let’s not be too excited by a mood survey involving our members only because, of course, they are our supporters,” he said, adding that many leaders had claimed in the past that they could win simply by basing their prediction on their members’ support, but they eventually lost.

“This is why I am depending on Wanita Barisan to do an accurate survey of non-party members, including the youth who have yet to decide,” he said.

Ismail Sabri said while he had received various studies, he would only rely on the findings of the survey by Wanita Barisan.

Describing the coming polls as “a tough one”, he said Barisan could not underestimate the Opposition bloc which might already be planning its steps to return to power.

“I would like to stress that we cannot look down on our opponents, who possibly may have drafted their plans to reconquer Putrajaya,” he said in his speech at the Wanita Barisan Nasional convention here yesterday.

“We are facing an uphill battle,” he said, adding that the convention was important as the country might be facing the 15th General Election (GE15) at any time.

He said it was important for the coalition’s Wanita machinery to be strengthened and to form new strategies to face the challenging political scenario.

Ismail Sabri said new political fronts might take shape to challenge Barisan in the polls and that there had been repeated attacks on the government.

“The attack on the government today is an attack on the Barisan leadership. Therefore, it is our responsibility to explain the real issues,” he said.