KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 (Bernama) -- Leaders of political parties should pay attention to the views of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as they reflected the voices of the people.
Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said although the number of NGO's was small they played a large role in general elections that could make parties win.
"In elections we do not need to get hundreds of thousands or tens of thousands of votes to win, just 102 will do to ensure victory or loss of a party," he said at a ceremony to launch 'Pertubuhan Perkasa Selangor' here on Saturday.
Dr Mahathir said he himself had lost in the 1969 general election when he failed to defend his Kota Setar Selatan parliamentary seat in Kedah as he was too confident that the Malay voters in the area would support him.
This was because in the 1964 general election he had won the seat by defeating the PIMP, now called Pas, candidate Mohd Shaari Abd Shukor by a majority of 4,210 votes.
"And this was a Malay area. Of the 35,000 voters, only 5,000 were Chinese, Indians and Thais. Because I tried to champion the fate of the Malays I was also of the opinion surely many of them will give me victory," said.
Dr Mahathir said due to thinking he will surely win, he did not pay attention if the Chinese in the constituency would vote for him or not.
As a result in that general Dr Mahathir was defeated by Yusof Rawa of Pas by a majority of 989.
As such, he said, that was why political parties must pay attention to the small groups as they can ensure a party's win in an election.
-- BERNAMA
Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said although the number of NGO's was small they played a large role in general elections that could make parties win.
"In elections we do not need to get hundreds of thousands or tens of thousands of votes to win, just 102 will do to ensure victory or loss of a party," he said at a ceremony to launch 'Pertubuhan Perkasa Selangor' here on Saturday.
Dr Mahathir said he himself had lost in the 1969 general election when he failed to defend his Kota Setar Selatan parliamentary seat in Kedah as he was too confident that the Malay voters in the area would support him.
This was because in the 1964 general election he had won the seat by defeating the PIMP, now called Pas, candidate Mohd Shaari Abd Shukor by a majority of 4,210 votes.
"And this was a Malay area. Of the 35,000 voters, only 5,000 were Chinese, Indians and Thais. Because I tried to champion the fate of the Malays I was also of the opinion surely many of them will give me victory," said.
Dr Mahathir said due to thinking he will surely win, he did not pay attention if the Chinese in the constituency would vote for him or not.
As a result in that general Dr Mahathir was defeated by Yusof Rawa of Pas by a majority of 989.
As such, he said, that was why political parties must pay attention to the small groups as they can ensure a party's win in an election.
-- BERNAMA
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