SEREMBAN: Barisan Nasional will remain focused and not allow itself to be intimidated by claims by its rivals that they have enough support to win GE15, says Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
The Barisan deputy chairman said the coalition was also under no pressure, as it already had an indication which seats it could win or where it had to work harder.
"Barisan is under no pressure and the others can claim whatever they want.
"We know which are the white, grey and grey-black seats for us and we will remain focused on our campaign," he said when met at his operations centre in Rantau.
Mohamad, also known as Tok Mat who is Umno deputy president, said although there were some minor problems in two or three constituencies where its incumbents were dropped, these were already resolved.
He said Barisan has also deployed a crisis management team to ensure all issues were resolved.
"So, there is nothing really that requires us to press the panic button. We know where we stand," he said, adding that as Barisan war room head, he is also given nightly updates on the political situation in the respective states.
On Tuesday (Nov 8), PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli said Pakatan Harapan was in a good position to form the Federal Government and could win more than 80 seats.
He later said that if Pakatan's campaigning gets better, it can win between 90 and 100 seats.
Prior to that, Rafizi had said it would be tough for Barisan to win GE15, as Malaysians were unhappy with its performance.
Mohamad said he had also met all the 191 Umno division heads personally to gauge support for Barisan in their respective areas.
"I met 53 for another session later to advise them where they can do even better.
"Once the election machinery is given clear instructions, they will know what to do," he said, adding that Barisan also accepted the fact that it did not stand a chance to win in certain areas, but would nevertheless work towards reducing the majority.
Mohamad said Barisan was also confident of doing well based on the support given by young and first time voters during the Johor state polls.
He said based on past experiences when Barisan was the Federal Government, many of the younger voters would tend to support the Opposition.
"But this has now changed as the young want political stability unlike what we have seen in the past four years and need leaders who can steer this nation to greater heights," he said.
On Negri Sembilan, Mohamad said based on the coalition's findings, it should be able to win up to six of the eight parliamentary seats.
"Initially it was four plus one seats and now it is five plus one.
"However, we are going to have to work harder to win," he said.
Mohamad said Barisan should win in Jelebu, Jempol, Kuala Pilah, Tampin and Rembau, while it stood a fair chance of wrestling Port Dickson.
Citing an example, he said Barisan only lost Kuala Pilah by a 200-vote majority in GE14, although it won all four state seats under the constituency.
Asked on his chances in Rembau, the former three-term mentri besar said his campaign was more focused in Paroi, which was one of the four state seats under the constituency.
He said more work has to be put in Paroi, which was won by Pakatan in 2018, as it had the most number of voters compared with the three other seats.
"Barisan has taken good care of Rantau, Chembong and Kota for the longest time, as these are our seats.
"But since I am also Barisan's coordinating chairman for Paroi, we will have to focus more there in the area which has over 50,000 voters," he said.
To another question, Mohamad said he may not defend his Rantau seat in next year's state polls if Barisan wins the general election and he was offered a position in the Federal Government.
Mohamad has been Rantau assemblyman since 2004.
