Mah, responding to media questions, said that life in politics was difficult to predict.

“We may have a result in Tanjung Piai but I don’t think we can be 100% sure and pin point to one factor,” he said in respond to whether the Umno-PAS unity had contributed to Barisan Nasional winning back the parliamentary seat.

Mah also said there are other factors such as the capability of the MCA candidate Wee Jeck Seng, the local MCA division leader, who had served the constituency for 10 years.

“Some told us his opponent was weak compared to Wee,” he said. Wee’s main rival was Pakatan Harapan’s Karmaine Sardini, who lost to Wee by 15,086 votes. Four other candidates also took part.

Wee is MCA’s second MP in Dewan Rakyat after Ayer Hitam MP Wee Ka Siong. In the 2018 general election, Jeck Seng lost to the late Dr Md Farid Md Rafik of PPBM by a 524-vote margin.