Mahdzir, who lost his bid for the Pedu state seat, said the party had done its best to win the people’s hearts during its campaigns, but fell short of its efforts.

“We accept defeat because it is part and parcel of elections. There will be winners, and there will be losers,” he said in a statement today.

Perikatan Nasional’s Radzi Amin defeated Mahdzir by more than 6,300 votes in the contest for the Pedu seat. He secured 14,397 votes while Mahdzir managed to only bag 8,024 votes.

He also said that BN remains open-minded and respects the decision of the Kedah people who declined to place their trust in the unity government to administer the state.

He advised all members to remain calm and to not to point fingers over the coalition’s loss in the state polls.

Mahdzir, who is state Umno chief, was also once a Kedah menteri besar, serving one term from 2005 to 2008. In the 15th general election, he lost by 10,959 votes in Padang Terap to Nurul Amin Hamid of PAS.