KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional’s victory in the Galas and Batu Sapi by-elections is a good start but this should not be an indication that an early general election will be called.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said while the wins in Galas and Batu Sapi could bolster the coalition’s chances in the next general election, it should not take things easy.

“Barisan can’t take things for granted, we still have a lot to do,” the Deputy Prime Minister said at the MIC Deepavali open house at the Putra World Trade Centre here yesterday.

Muhyiddin, who was asked if Barisan was ready for the 13th general election, said the coalition could not predict victory with just the successes in Galas and Batu Sapi.

He said there were many things they needed to work on and component parties should not be complacent.

“However, the wins are a good start,” he said, pointing out that support had come from all the races.

“This is only the first step. We should continue to work hard,” he said.

Muhyiddin also said that the Galas win showed that the Kelantanese were beginning to accept the coalition again.

He added that many people had said it was difficult to win over the Kelantanese because they tended to favour PAS but the by-election showed that people had reacted rationally by choosing Barisan.

Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said Barisan’s wins indicated that the people’s faith in the Barisan leadership had been restored.

“The people have seen weakness after weakness from the Opposition, not just in state administration but within their own party,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin attributed the victories to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s leadership and his 1Malaysia clarion call.

“The huge victory is a clear sign that the people, especially the younger generation, have returned to us. This is certainly positive and we should not take these successes for granted,” he said at the MIC open house.

Barisan candidate Datin Linda Tsen Thau Lin of PBS won the Batu Sapi parliamentary seat with a 6,359-vote majority.

She polled 9,773 votes to defeat PKR’s Ansari Abdullah who polled 3,414 votes and SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee who garnered 2,031 votes.

In Galas, Barisan’s Abdul Aziz Yusoff polled 5,324 votes against Dr Zulkefli Mohamed from PAS who obtained 4,134 votes.

In Ipoh, Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said Barisan should consider the victory as an opportunity to reciprocate the people’s support by serving them better.

In Seremban, Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the triumph showed that the Chinese support was returning to Barisan.

In Kuala Terengganu, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said said the electorate in the two constituencies was not influenced by the persuasion and narrow politics of the Opposition.