Nazari Mokhtar, the PN candidate for Tenggara, said the younger generation of Felda settlers appreciate what PN chairman and former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin did for them when he was in power.

During his tenure, Muhyiddin announced the government would waive a portion of Felda settlers’ debt worth RM8.3 billion under a conditional loan initiative.

Nazari said surveys conducted by the party prior to the dissolution of
Parliament and the reception he has received on the ground indicated that the winds of change were blowing in Felda areas.

“We see the support for Umno being very shaky among the Felda settlers here. Umno is no longer their party of choice,” he told FMT.

Nazari said PN initially believed it had a 50-50 chance of winning Tenggara if the former MP Dr Adham Baba was contesting for BN.

However, its chances of winning had improved because BN dropped the former health minister from its GE15 lineup, he added.

On PAS’ decision to remain with PN, Nazari said it was a good move that would help unite the Malays in PAS and Bersatu.

However, he added that if PN won GE15, it might want to bring Umno into the coalition.

“Although BN leaders have said publicly they do not want to join PN, that is just political rhetoric.

“We are confident that if they do not win (the election), they will come to us just like last time. When BN was toppled (in 2018), who did they go to for help?”

Noting that politics was dynamic and anything was possible, Nazari said: “It is almost impossible for BN to get a two-thirds majority. I only see them winning 50 to 60 seats.”

In such a scenario, he said the only question was whether BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi would turn to PN or Pakatan Harapan (PH) for support to form the government.

“We definitely prefer him coming to us because it will also help unite the Malays as a whole,” he said.

It will be a four-cornered fight for the Tenggara seat involving Nazari, Manndzri Nasib (BN), Zuraidah Zainab (PH) and Azhar Palal (Pejuang).