Ong ramal Zahid akan jadi PM jika ‘gelombang biru’ menang PRU16

Political analyst Ong Kian Ming predicts that Barisan Nasional chairman Zahid Hamidi could become the next Prime Minister if the "blue wave" coalition wins the 2016 General Election. According to Ong, Pakatan Rakyat may secure more seats than BN, but he expects Zahid to receive support from Sabah and Sarawak parties for the top position.

Ong believes that the narrative of national and Islamic unity can make the Pakatan BN-PN win PRU16, as BN and PN would win over 112 parliamentary seats and form a government together with GPS and GRS. As the 11th Prime Minister, Zahid is expected to succeed Ismail Sabri Yaakob who was appointed in August 2021. Concerning the hierarchy issue, Ong stated that Zahid has a better chance than other Umno presidents.

He also predicts that Pakatan Harapan will become a shadow party, retaining only 40 to 50 parliamentary seats, and possibly losing the Selangor government, which has been with PH since 2008. PH currently holds 76 parliamentary seats. Ong predicts that Umno will not defend all 21 seats in Melaka, and BN will relinquish at least four seats to PN in exchange for some seats held by PAS in strong party strongholds in Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, and Terengganu.

However, the main constraint is the lack of mutual agreement on seat distribution between BN and PN, and Ong does not expect BN to receive sufficient support to force a PRU16 at this moment, even if there are new developments after the 2027 budget announcement. In such a scenario, GPS and GRS might be more open to a working relationship proposal from BN, which could lead to the dissolution of Parliament and the holding of PRU16.

While BN urges Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to hold the election earlier, especially after the rift in PRN Johor and Negeri Sembilan, Anwar refuses, emphasizing that the government's stability remains the top priority, with the main focus on improving citizens' welfare and managing the economy.