By Jahabar Sadiq
Editor
The Malaysian Insider
May 05, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — Both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) began leaking numbers of possible wins in the tight Election 2013 race just as voters finished casting their ballots today.
The BN is confident of winning 145 federal seats, with at least 118 in the white list, said sources from the coalition’s war room.
But PR is also bullish about capturing Putrajaya, with sources saying that it can win at least 117 federal seats. It is understood that an independent poll showed possibly taking at least 125 seats, with at least 40 per cent of the Malay vote in the bag.
The Umno-controlled Berita Harian has also been publishing an exit poll of various hot seats that indicate BN are in the lead. It is learnt that the numbers are from the BN war room.
PR sources say that their worst-case scenario is taking 100 federal seats and possibly wresting the Perak and Negri Sembilan state assemblies while keeping Kelantan, Kedah, Penang and Selangor.
But BN sources say they are also confident of keeping Perak and taking Kedah and Kelantan as part of their “Blue Wave” campaign.
The BN war room sources said the coalition is expected to win in Setiawangsa, Titiwangsa, Lembah Pantai and Putrajaya in the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory.
In Penang, BN has pushed an aggressive campaign but it only expects to pick up an extra seat in Balik Pulau apart from retaining Kepala Batas and Tasek Gelugor.
In Selangor, BN is tipped to win the key race in Shah Alam, where Perkasa vice-president Datuk Zulkifli Noordin is on the coalition’s ticket against PAS’s Khalid Samad.
In its bastion state of Johor, BN is confident of taking at 17 of the 26 federal seats but has given up on Gelang Patah where DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang is facing four-term state mentri besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman.
Among the seats that BN believes it can win are Sekijang, Labis, Pagoh, Ledang, Muar, Parit Sulong, Sri Gading, Sembrong, Mersing, Kota Tinggi and Pengerang.
In Sabah, BN is gung-ho about getting 20 out of the 25 federal seats in the state including Labuan, Kota Belud, Papar, Kimanis, Keningau, Libaran and Kinabatangan.
In Sarawak, BN believes it will take 20 out of the 31 federal seats there including Petra Jaya, Kota Samarahan, Tanjong Manis, Kapit and Hulu Rajang.