By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
June 26, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is targeting to control 11 states in the upcoming general elections, says Lim Kit Siang.
The DAP parliamentary leader said the coalition has targeted on retaining Penang, Kedah, Selangor, Kelantan and winning back Perak. He also said that PR is planning on taking over Negri Sembilan, Johor, Malacca, Pahang, Terengganu and Perlis from Barisan Nasional (BN).
“The forthcoming 13th General Election will be the battle of the century as at stake will not only be the state governments of all the 11 states in Peninsular Malaysia but federal power in Putrajaya as well,” said Lim at a dinner in Teluk Intan last night.
Lim said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was aware of the “high stakes” involved in the upcoming polls, which is why he had “reminded” the Selayang Umno division yesterday that in a general election there is no such term as a runner-up.
“Najib is fully aware that a 5 per cent swing in votes in the next general election as compared to the 2008 general election will see a Pakatan Rakyat government in Putrajaya and Umno and Barisan Nasional taking their places in the parliamentary opposition benches. The same odds apply for the state elections as well,” said Lim.
The last 2008 general election saw the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition lose its grip on its two-thirds parliamentary majority to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as well as five states — Selangor, Penang, Kelantan, Kedah and Perak.
Adding on, Lim said that if BN continued to resort to undemocratic and oppressive means like a crack down on the July 9 Bersih rally, then they would be “creating the very conditions which would ensure a 5 per cent swing against Umno and BN in the next general election” and inadvertently a change of federal power in Putrajaya.