By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, August 10 — As the Selangor State Election draws closer, Pakatan Harapan’s candidates have expressed concerns over slightly lower voter turnout than the 15th General Election (GE15) in November last year.
Political pundits have projected that voter turnout will be below 70 per cent, compared to the 73.89 per cent for GE15.
Yet another dimension has emerged, as noted by political analysts. They highlighted hesitation among undecided voters and even core supporters of both Harapan and Barisan Nasional (BN), attributed to the unprecedented political realignment that birthed the Unity Government.
This alliance, seemingly contradictory to the foundational belief of both coalition’s core supporters, has been met with scepticism from their traditional base of supporters.
Given the historic rivalry between the two factions, the collaboration has led some voters to consider abstaining from the polls.
While this has been a significant concern, Harapan’s candidate for Kampung Tunku Lim Yi Wei, keeps a positive outlook on voter turnout, saying the response has been encouraging thus far.
“We remain cautious and are aggressively campaigning to encourage everyone, whether Malay, Chinese, or Indian, to come out and vote.
“Some opinions suggest voters may not turn out for a mere state election, a trend we have observed in the past. But we are doing everything possible to persuade the public to exercise their right to vote,” she told Selangor Journal.
Lim, who is defending the seat, is similarly confident about her prospects in Kampung Tunku, a state constituency where she has previously triumphed. Her campaign has centred on pledges to enhance the quality of life for urban residents and create a sense of local identity for Kampung Tunku residents.
She won the seat in 2018 with a 30,444 vote majority.
When asked about any potential hesitation or rejection from core Harapan voters regarding their newfound alliance with BN, Lim said the response was largely positive.
“So far in our engagements, we have not encountered major pushbacks. We are actively emphasising the successes of the Selangor state administration over the past five years.
“What is crucial is that people here are more concerned with how the state government can enhance their lives,” she said.
Meanwhile, Harapan’s Kota Damansara candidate Izuan Kasim said the collaboration between the Harapan and BN election machinery teams has been seamless and highly efficient.
“Actually, its former state assemblyman, Datuk Halimaton Saadiah Bohan from BN, has been providing tremendous support on the ground.
“Her groundwork is commendable, and I am profoundly grateful. The campaign is progressing smoothly, and all hands are on deck,” he said.
Izuan has been campaigning on local issues, focusing on community-related complaints and concerns, from housing to the lack of public amenities or facilities in low-cost flats.
The sentiment of seamless cooperation between Harapan and BN was also echoed by Harapan‘s Lembah Jaya candidate Syed Ahmad Syed Abdul Rahman Alhadad, popularly known as the rapper Altimet.
Throughout the campaign trail, he has observed an impressive synergy, noting the absence of discord when the two distinctive groups combine their efforts.
“We even organised training sessions for election volunteers at the Umno Ampang building. There have not been any hiccups,” Syed Ahmad said.
Yet, he acknowledges the potential challenges of vote transferability between Harapan and BN supporters. Despite these considerations, he remains sanguine about his prospects in Lembah Jaya.
“It is realistic to say we might not secure all the votes, but the campaign has been running smoothly up to this point. Let us await the outcome,” Syed Ahmad said.
Determined and focused, he added, “I am not leaving anything to chance. I intend to stay in the state constituency and continue my campaign efforts until the eleventh hour.”
