The Malaysian Insight

VOTERS in the northern peninsula generally are inclined towards Perikatan Nasional (PN) as an alternative to Barisan Nasional (BN), which they said is tainted by corruption.

A random survey by The Malaysian Insight in Malay-majority seats in Kedah and Perlis has also shown that the younger voters are all sold on PN’s vision for Malaysia.

All who spoke said they are keen to vote for a party that was founded on or champions Islam and rejects Pakatan Harapan (PH) on the grounds that DAP is a component party and voting for the coalition is as good as voting for DAP.

Jerai voter Muhammad Ikhwan Shazmi, 27, said he is sold on the PN slogan “Bersih dan Stabil (Clean and Stable)”.

“PAS has benefited here by joining the PN coalition. Of course, the scandals that have tainted the image of BN leaders have helped,” he said.

“Locals are lukewarm towards DAP, which many feel did not do well during its 22 months in government.”

PN is locked in a four-cornered fight in Jerai with its candidate, Sabri Azit, facing BN’s Jamil Khir Baharom, a former Islamic affairs minister, PH’s Zulhazmi Shariff from DAP and Nizam Mahshar from Pejuang.

Zulhazmi, who is the Kedah DAP deputy chairman, has been the target of PN attacks and labelled a party stooge.

“I only know he is from DAP as Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has mention his name at ceramah,” he said, admitting he knew nothing about the Pejuang candidate.

He noted it would help locals to go with PN as currently the coalition is in control of the state government.

Kedah is among three states under PN. The other two are Kelantan and Terengganu, which won in the 2018 general election.

The state’s legislative assemblies have not been dissolved as the PN administration has said it wanted to focus on flood relief operations during the monsoon.

‘Keep DAP out of governemnt’

First-time voter Nur Nabihah Raihan, 20, wants to vote for the candidate who comes from a party that has a strong Islamic base.

“I want to vote for a candidate who will be here all the time for us. Not someone who will disappear after the polls,” she said.

Nur Nabihah said she is more familiar with Sabri compared to Jamil Khir, even though the Umno supreme councillor had represented the area before losing the Jerai seat in the last polls.

PAS won the seat in the last general election. This time around, the Islamist party is having a tilt in eight seats while its partner, Bersatu, in seven seats.

In Kangar, Haikal Zakaria, 18, said he wanted to help the Islamist party and keep DAP out of government.

“I am voting for PAS and PN. It is time to give the Islamist party a chance to rule Perlis,” he said when met at PN campaign event in Kuala Perlis.

The Kangar seat is a Malay-majority seat.

The incumbent is Noor Amin Ahmad, who will face Zakri Hassan (PN), Fathul Bari Mat Jahya (BN), Rohimi Shapiee (Warisan) and Nur Sulaiman Zolkapli (Pejuang).

Fisherman Halim Mat, 65, a BN supporter, believes PAS will capture the state legislative assembly in the polls.

He feels Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his court cases are a liability and will work against BN.

He believes Zahid victimised leaders in the state, such as Arau incumbent MP Shahidan Kassim and Padang Besar incumbent MP Zahidi Zainul Abidin.

Shahidan is now running as a PN candidate in Arau while Zahidi is contesting as an Independent.

A Merdeka Center survey back in 2011 indicated a trend where those aged 15 to 20 years were conservative in their views.

The electoral roll for GE15 shows that some 1.4 million voters fall in the 18-20 years age group. The total number on the roll is 21.1 million.

The increase in new voters has buoyed PAS and it is claiming that it will win Perlis and Pahang.

PAS is contesting nine of the 15 seats up for grabs for the Perlis legislative assembly; six are contested by PN partner Bersatu.

In Pahang, it is contesting 24 of the 42 state seats up for grabs. – November 17, 2022.