KLANG: Umno and Barisan Nasional's election machinery in Selangor is quieter in the 15th General Election (GE15) compared to previous polls.
Many remember the coalition being exceptionally vociferous, especially during the 2013 general election, where large gatherings and meetings were held to woo Selangor voters to return Barisan to the helm.
But some reckon the lack of noise from Umno should not be seen that the party or coalition was not doing anything or had given up fighting for the state.
“Actually, Umno is very tactical and carries out its campaign very quietly as opposed to its opponents which are making a lot of noise," said political analyst Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian.
Selangor Barisan communications chief Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos, who is contesting the Sungai Besar parliamentary seat, said all of the coalition’s candidates were focussing on their respective constituencies.
“We are serious about winning and securing sufficient seats to form the government and to do this we have to give our undivided attention to our voters," said Jamal when contacted.
He added that Umno and Barisan component party candidates had refrained from name calling and mudslinging and were concentrating on convincing the respective constituents to give them a chance.
“We are ensuring that we do not fall prey to provocation as well as not resorting to provoking others," he added.
Four-term Sungai Burung assemblyman Datuk Samsudin Lias said Umno did not believe in having large scale ceramah any more.
“We feel it is not suitable with the changing times and we only have small-scale ceramah now. However, we have many walkabouts where the candidates move around in the constituency meeting the voters face-to-face and speaking with them," said Samsudin.
However, added Samsudin, Umno’s social media campaigns were very active and consistent given that there was a need to reach out to the younger generation.
“We also reach out to non-governmental organisations and arrange meetings with them as well," said Samsudin who was a former Opposition chief at the Selangor Legislative Assembly.
Meanwhile, Merdeka Centre co-founder and programme director Ibrahim Suffian said based on the data obtained by his organisation, Barisan and Umno’s level of activities in Selangor for GE15 is considerably quieter than previous polls.
“In the past, Barisan activities were more frequent and active than the other parties but this time around their activity level is equally low,’’ said Ibrahim.
Ibrahim also noted that there was less Barisan and Umno visual campaign material such as posters and banners except in places where the candidate had his or her own resources to pay for it (the material).
