KUALA LUMPUR 3 July – The political war drums have begun with six state elections expected to be held early August at the latest.
This election will see two contrasting political styles merging seeing to woo voters in the six states. Pakatan Harapan (PH) and the Barisan Nasional (BN) are ideologically very different and will be interesting to see how they work together.
Political parties see young voters as decisive in polls.
The so called Undi 18 group will join other voters in heading to the polls once more.
The state poll results are seen as a barometer of the support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his unity government, especially among the majority Malay Muslim voters.
The outcome of the state elections in Selangor, Penang, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu will serve as a benchmark to the coalition’s performance in spearheading the unity government as well as to gauge its chances of winning the next national polls slated for 2027.
One cannot brush aside the notion of a political ‘green wave’” in the coming state polls.
Anwar’s recent series of dialogue sessions with university students where the prime minister shared several intriguing insights and advice were well received.
However, there have been debates about the mindset of young voters and whether they are ready to determine the country’s political direction as the young minds today are more mature than in previous generations.
At the same time, many young voters are also clueless and apathetic about the political situation.
Youths who are more politically savvy are likely to prioritise issues that are considered sensational such as the national Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loan amount, business opportunities that come with financial assistance and other incentives as well as job opportunities.
The age of the candidate-the younger the better also gives an advantage to the candidate. But it also depends on some external factors, such as background, locality and the political idealism shown.
As such, political parties need to champion to highlight state government issues to ensure voters can cast their vote with sufficient information.
Candidates who are active and popular on social media have a higher chance of winning the hearts of voters, especially young people who will be voting for the first time in the state elections. As social media platforms have a strong influence on the voters.
UMNO-BN is facing one of the biggest challenges in the state elections after a questionable performance in the 15th general elections.
Vote transferability from BN supporters to PH candidates and vice versa may be challenging.
A sector of UMNO supporters may opt to stay out or even support PN candidates due to dissatisfaction with their own leaders.
PH has to work harder to show that its decision to partner UMNO-BN is for the long term, even though it’s an open secret several BN leaders are uncomfortable with the arrangement.
In the meantime, voters are more likely to choose a candidate that is more concerned with local community issues rather than party logos.
The candidate’s social media presence might play a part in attracting support, but that would not be the only factor. Young minds today are mature and sensitive to issues that can affect the country and the economy.
But a larger section of the youths also appear to be more focused on pursuing their studies and living out their aspirations.
EC is constitutionally obliged to hold an election within 60 days of it being called, and it would be easier to hold simultaneous polls for the six states and to avoid differing dates being used as political capital.
Traditionally, EC will issue an election writ two weeks after the dissolution of parliament or state assembly to enable them to hold a meeting to determine important dates including candidate nomination day, campaign period and polling day.
UMNO, PAS, and Bersatu largely focus on the same Malay constituency and defend a conservative-ethnonationalist agenda. While PAS and Amanah have a clear Islamist agenda, UMNO and Bersatu’s political lines are rather similar, although the latter claims to be a cleaner version of the former.
Unexpected alliances between the former ruling UMNO and its longtime radical opponent Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) led by PMX Anwar Ibrahim has blurred the line between parties’ agendas.
Approximately 9.78 million voters will be eligible to vote in the polls in the Peninsular Malaysia states of Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu.
By M.Vivekananthan
The writer has served the government of Malaysia at various ministries and agencies for 30 years.
