MALAYSIANS who voted for the opposition in the last elections are frustrated with the ongoing disputes within the coalition, with three-cornered fights likely to happen in the 14th general election (GE14), political analysts said. 

Ilham Centre director Mohamad Hisommudin Bakar said the research outfit is also expecting a low voter turnout at GE14, which would benefit the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional (BN). 

“Before the elections, there are already disagreements on whether it should be Anwar Ibrahim who will be prime minister, their manifesto and after that, three-cornered fights in several (by-election) seats.

“Despite winning the popular vote in GE13, the fight has continued between PAS, PKR and DAP,” said Hisommudin.

“Voters whom we met expect the drama to continue until the elections,” Hisommudin told The Malaysian Insight. 

PAS recently announced its aim to contest in 80 parliamentary seats in GE14, not ruling out the possibility of contesting in PKR- and DAP-held seats. 

Its deputy president, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, also reaffirmed the party’s stance of not joining Pakatan Harapan following the objections from DAP and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) towards PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill to enhance penalties for shariah offences. 

Pakatan Harapan is now made up of four political parties – PKR, DAP, Amanah and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu). 

“With PAS’ actions, three-cornered fights are inevitable,” Hisommuddin said.

Yesterday, the Islamist party saidt its president Hadi had won his party presidency unopposed, ending any hopes of PAS working with other opposition parties in PH.

Hisommuddin said those who opted to vote opposition for the first time in the last general election were also left frustrated after Pakatan Rakyat was dissolved because of the spat between DAP and PAS.

“Furthermore, there are no factors to attract overseas voters to come home or those who reside in the city to go back to their hometowns to vote.”

Institut Darul Ehsan (IDE) chief executive Prof Dr Redzuan Othman said voters wanted to see unity in a political coalition, something that only BN could offer so far. 

“Voters have given bigger mandates to the opposition in the 2008 and 2013 elections, in fact Pakatan had the popular votes because they showed unity.

“Unity is the key, because Malaysia is a multicultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic country,” he said. 

He said based on a survey carried out by IDE on “Issues and perception of Selangor voters ahead of GE14”, the group found that 84% of Selangor voters still looked forward to voting but the current political climate in the opposition camp could discourage them from doing so. 

The survey, held from February 8-13 also revealed that 48% of the 2,018 respondents believed that the release of PKR de facto leader Anwar would unite opposition parties in GE14, an increase by 4% from last year’s survey.

Also, 36% of the respondents said Anwar was a capable leader who could turn Malaysia into a respectable country, with 47% saying the former deputy prime minister should lead the country.

The survey is the sixth poll conducted since Azmin Ali became the Selangor menteri besar and is aimed at studying the political landscape in the state. – April 12, 2017.