“It is also a responsibility which we will carry out as best as we can,” he said in a Facebook post.

Zahid, who is also the Umno president, said the mandate BN received is part of its ongoing efforts to win the public back into its fold.

BN had performed dismally in the 2022 general election winning only 30 seats in 2022, compared to 79 in 2018. At six state elections last year, Umno contested 108 seats but won just 19.

Zahid hoped the Nenggiri victory tonight would be a catalyst towards more meaningful victories in the future.

BN reclaimed the Nenggiri state seat at the by-election today, winning by a majority of 3,352 votes in a straight fight against Perikatan Nasional.

Nenggiri, a seat in the Kelantan state assembly, had been won by BN for four consecutive elections since 2004 before losing to PN last year.

Zahid thanked Umno stalwart Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, the election director for Nenggiri and the BN and unity government machinery for ensuring victory for Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani.