‘Time has come for BN to lead’: Zahid demands GE16 held as soon as possible

In a speech at the Umno general assembly, President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi advocated for the 16th General Election to be held promptly, emphasizing the need for Barisan Nasional to secure a new mandate to lead Malaysia.

He presented the "gelombang biru" strategy, highlighting the evolved political landscape with diverse voter demographics and sentiments.

Zahid underscored the complexity of gaining political support, noting varying lessons from recent elections in Sabah, Johor, and Negeri Sembilan.

He anticipated Melaka as a critical test for the coalition's strategy, framing GE16 as pivotal for Umno's leadership ambitions.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 — Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today called for the 16th General Election (GE16) to be held as soon as possible, saying the time had come for Barisan Nasional (BN) to seek a fresh mandate to lead the country.

Zahid said GE16 would be a defining moment for Umno and BN to regain the mandate to lead, as he outlined the coalition’s “gelombang biru” (blue wave) strategy ahead of the next general election.

“Therefore, the time has come for GE16 to be held immediately. Do you agree?” he said in his fiery policy speech at Umno’s general assembly here, to which delegates in the Dewan Merdeka hall replied with a loud “Yes!”.

He then told delegates that since the party had already been fighting for its political position, it should see the battle through to the end.

“Since we have started, we might as well see it through to the end. Since we are already fighting, let us fight all the way,” he said.

Zahid said the political landscape had become more complex, with Malay politics no longer centred on a single political vehicle and voter loyalties no longer being inherited.

He said the younger generation was also less bound by nostalgia for the old political landscape, meaning Umno could no longer rely on a single formula in every electoral battleground.

“Demographics differ. Issues differ. Candidates differ. Sentiments also differ. That is the reality today,” he said.

Zahid said the results in Sabah, Johor and Negeri Sembilan had each offered different lessons for the party.

He said Sabah had provided a lesson, Johor had raised confidence, while Negri Sembilan showed that political understanding could be a strength.

“Melaka, God willing, will be the next battleground to test how far the ‘blue wave’ can truly be translated into action,” he said.

Zahid said the blue wave was not merely intended to make Umno a supporting component of the government.

“GE16 is the defining moment for us to regain the mandate to lead the country,” he said.

GE16 must be held by 2028 at the latest, unless Parliament is dissolved earlier.

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巫统主席拿督斯里阿末扎希在巫统大会上发表讲话，主张尽快举行第16届全国大选，强调国民阵线需要获得新的授权来领导马来西亚。

他提出了“蓝色阵营”战略，强调了不断变化的政治格局，以及选民人口结构和情感的多样性。

扎希德强调了获得政治支持的复杂性，并指出沙巴、柔佛和森美兰最近的选举带来了不同的教训。

他认为马六甲之行是对该联盟战略的一次关键考验，并将第16届全国大选视为巫统领导地位的关键之战。

吉隆坡，9月11日讯——巫统主席拿督斯里阿末扎希今日呼吁尽快举行第16届全国大选（GE16），称国阵（BN）是时候寻求新的授权来领导国家了。

扎希德表示，第16届全国大选将是巫统和国阵重新获得执政权的决定性时刻，他还概述了该联盟在下届大选前的“蓝色浪潮”战略。

“因此，现在是时候立即举行第16届全国大选了。你们同意吗？”他在巫统大会上发表了慷慨激昂的政策演讲，独立大厅的代表们对此报以热烈的“同意！”的回答。

然后他告诉代表们，既然该党已经为争取其政治地位而战，就应该将这场战斗进行到底。

“既然已经开始了，我们就应该坚持到底。既然已经开始战斗，那就战斗到底吧。”他说。

扎希德表示，政治格局变得更加复杂，马来政治不再以单一政治力量为中心，选民的忠诚度也不再是世袭的。

他表示，年轻一代对旧政治格局的怀旧之情也较少，这意味着巫统不能再在每个选举战场上都依赖单一的策略。

“人口结构不同，议题不同，候选人不同，民众情绪也不同。这就是当今的现实，”他说道。

扎希德表示，沙巴、柔佛和森美兰的选举结果都给该党带来了不同的教训。

他说，沙巴提供了一个教训，柔佛提高了信心，而森美兰则表明政治理解可以成为一种优势。

他说：“如果上帝保佑，马六甲将成为下一个战场，检验‘蓝色浪潮’究竟能在多大程度上转化为实际行动。”

扎希德表示，蓝色浪潮并非仅仅是为了使巫统成为政府的支持力量。

他说：“第16届全国大选是我们重新获得领导国家授权的决定性时刻。”

除非议会提前解散，否则第16届全国大选最迟必须在2028年举行。

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扎希德抨击希望联盟的汽油政策承诺，抨击布迪95政策反复无常，称巫统已为第16届全国大选做好准备