By Scoop reporters
KUALA LUMPUR — The recent success of Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) in maintaining their stronghold in Penang has been attributed to the strategic placement of a ‘poster boy’ for their state election campaign, analysts said.
Political analyst, Sivamurugan Pandian, said the strategy employed by the coalitions effectively instilled voter confidence through the presence of a clear and charismatic leadership figure.
In a significant triumph, the PH-BN unity coalition secured a resounding two-thirds majority in the Penang state election, successfully retaining 19 DAP, seven PKR, two BN, and one Amanah seats.
Reflecting on BN’s previous defeat in 2008, Pandian said the absence of a distinct candidate to lead Penang had significantly contributed to their downfall.
He also noted the importance for the Unity Government to target areas predominantly populated by a single racial group.
“Perikatan Nasional secured victories in areas predominantly inhabited by Malays, while DAP and PKR clinched victory in predominantly Chinese areas.
“This sort of pattern was not exclusive to Penang but extended to Selangor and Negri Sembilan, revealing a substantial racial gap in voting trends,” he said.
Pandian shared these insights during an episode of the TV3 talk show “PRN Mandate 2023” last night.
Joining him was fellow political analyst Mohamad Tawfik Yaakob, who echoed his sentiments and offered commentary on the Unity Government’s strategies to alleviate economic challenges.
“The Unity Government may succeed in providing a solution to the people who are affected by the poor economic situation by introducing the rahmah menu and so on.
“But that was not really enough to help the people escape from their ongoing financial struggles,” he said.
Tawfik also underscored the ability of Perikatan Nasional (PN), a coalition with prior governmental experience, to resonate with voters by presenting solutions aligned with their fundamental needs.
Observing the relatively lower voter turnout in the recently concluded state elections, both Tawfik and Pandian concurred that voter fatigue with the nation’s political climate was becoming increasingly evident.
This fatigue, they argued, could in part be attributed to the tight time gap between general and state elections, which posed challenges for out-of-state voters to participate in both processes.
“(Maybe) it is better to conduct general and state elections simultaneously to save costs, time, and energy.
“Alternatively, there could be fixed election dates as it would reduce the uncertainty surrounding election schedules,” Pandian added. — August 13, 2023