Gerakan president Dominic Lau said such a study would help PN prepare for the next general election (GE16), especially with the coalition facing the increasing likelihood of a united Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan front in the next nationwide polls.

The senator also said BN and PH had managed to set aside their differences on the campaign trail. The model of their cooperation showcased the strength of the unity government, he added.

“If PH and BN continue to cooperate in facing GE16, the political landscape may change significantly.

“Although Nenggiri and Mahkota are different in terms of voter composition and location, they can serve as a reference to understand voting patterns in rural and suburban areas.

“The Nenggiri by-election result alone is insufficient to prove a shift in Malay votes, but when combined with the Mahkota result, PN cannot take this matter lightly,” the PN deputy chairman said in a statement.

While PN managed to make significant gains in several Malay-majority areas in the 15th general election, Lau said many of the voters were fence-sitters rather than loyal supporters of the coalition.

“If PN wants to maintain its hold on these areas, then we need to start working now, making early preparations and arranging our campaign strategies and teams.”

He also said many in the non-Muslim community were unhappy with the unity government, but this did not translate into votes for PN.

Lau said the coalition needed to ensure they could attract their support, too.

Saturday’s by-election saw BN score a landslide victory with a majority of 20,648 votes, about four times what the party achieved in the state elections in 2022.