Unhappy Umno, PAS supporters in east coast still won't vote Pakatan

Melati A. Jalil Chan Kok Leong Melati A. Jalil, Chan Kok Leong Updated 8 years ago · Published on 27 Mar 2018 12:10AM · 7 Comments

The disillusionment of Umno and PAS members may not translate into votes for the opposition on the east coast, where Pakatan Harapan has failed to establish a strong presence. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, March 27, 2018.

THERE is brewing dissatisfaction among Umno and PAS supporters in Terengganu and Kelantan, but it is not enough to help Pakatan Harapan to electoral victory and Putrajaya, says Ilham Centre executive director Hisommudin Bakar.

The elections researcher said Umno members in Terengganu had been critical of the party and the direction it was taking under its president, Prime Minister Najib Razak. 

“They are unhappy because the party is not able to address attacks by the opposition and they are also affected by the rising cost of living. 

“As for PAS (members), they are not happy with the state government’s response to some issues, including those surrounding the Orang Asli.

“The degree of dissatisfaction varies depending on location, but we can say the protest is expanding,” he told reporters at the end of the forum, GE14 Will Be Stolen, in Kuala Lumpur, yesterday night. 

He said it was hard to determine whether the dissatisfaction would be translated into protest votes in the 14th general election, due to the opposition’s lack of presence in the two states.

“There is a dissatisfaction but no one (party) is addressing it.

“Unless Pakatan Harapan or its parties like Bersatu field strong candidates or faces that they know, they will stick with their parties.”

In states like Kedah, Malay voters in rural areas remained loyal to Umno and BN because they lacked information other than government narratives. 

“And in Baling (in Kedah), they are still influenced by one-off assistance,” he said, referring to handouts from government or ruling party programmes.

Hisommudin said these sentiments were noted in focus group studies with voters late last year. – March 27, 2018.

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Comments

  • Duh! Even i won't vote for pakatan although i am deeply unhappy with the way things are generally going. I think the problem is that pakatan is more familiar to me now. 5 or 10 years ago when i didn't know pakatan all that well, i found it easier to believe in their capabilities and good will. Then i got to know them better and pakatan i suppose, is just like one of those people you like less and less the more you know them.

    The only thing i find it attractive about pakatan is the idea if pakatan wins, it will be a new government, and even if it offers nothing else, a new government will better just because it is new, just like how a new broom will sweep better than the old broom simply because the new broom is new.

    The thing that turns me off pakatan on the other hand, is the thought that it is one thing to be taken for a ride by some people, but it is a whole other thing to be taken for a ride by every tom, dick and harry out there. I fear that if i vote pakatan, and later pakatan turns out to be as bad as BN, which i am 90 - 95 % certain it will be, when i look in the mirror, my brain will just explode with the thought "See, you dumbarse, i told you so didn't i! " , and that will be the ruin of me.

    I think that is why a lot of people won't vote for pakatan even if they are unhappy with BN. I think the feeling is, if you are tricked by BN, at least you already know how it feels. If you get tricked by pakatan on the other hand, you are not only going to get tricked, even you will think that you are the biggest dumbarse that ever walked on the the face of the earth.

    Who wants to look in the mirror and think that about yourself.

    Posted 8 years ago by Nehru Sathiamoorthy · Reply

  • In a corporate, if a CEO hold absolute power, he made the company having record debts 4.5 times more than his predecessor, and yet you can't see any solid result from the projects undertaken despite the debts accumulated compare to his predecessor which has borrowed 4.5 times less and have some solid projects result to show, and all the top executives of the company doesn't know what they are doing and not the best person to do their jobs and they are there just because they support the CEO blindly, and CEO use partial of the money borrowed to buy supports to continue his work, it is a dumbarse for the shareholders to give the CEO another term for his service. What is wrong is wrong. What is wrong now need to be corrected if not there will be no future in the company when wrong is rewarded, right is punished. No foreign investors will invest in this company and the future of this company is gloom. Doesn't matter the only candidate for the new CEO position, has done many wrongs himself 15 years ago, in smaller scale and damage. If that is the only CEO candidate available to correct the massive wrongs now, you just have to rectify the wrongs now and need a change and cannot be status quo. Only a dumbarse resist for change and opt to remains status quo. The replacement might turn out bad as well in the future , then do the right thing again by voting out him in the future. The alarming needs now is to right the wrong NOW, no other things should have higher priority than this. The replacement might surprise you with the new found structure and partners, you won't it for sure, if you don't give a try and scare to right the wrong now.

    Posted 8 years ago by CK Loh · Reply

  • It is either this hope, that hope or no hope all together. In the context of our daily life, there must be hope, else we are dead. So please choose one.

    Posted 8 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • Only on the East Coast? One day the opposition, in all its forms, will wake up to the reality that the ONLY way that BN stays in power is because the opposition IS SO APPALLINGLY AWFUL...has been and still is. The only time that the opposition made any impact on BN was during Anwar’s amateurish combination of NON-CHINESE and VISION.. A result which initiated the 1MDB money grab and the subsequent reaction by Mahathir to grab as much money as did Najib. Thanks to Nehru for putting a human face to Malaysian politics. And no thanks to CK for seeing everything in terms of money and Chinese righteousness. The feeble plea to give PH a try in the face of overwhelming experience and evidence of corruption and incompetence is the Chinese way, isn’t it. They want everything with no effort on their part. It’s no wonder they embraced communism

    Posted 8 years ago by Dennis Da Menace · Reply

    • Dennis, if a CEO didn't deliver in a corporate, he has to go to give way to other who has idea how to do it. Same apply in football, manager have to go, if he cannot deliver expected result by fan. Same apply to national top leadership in a country. What is so Chinese about the capable lead, and the non-capable have to go and don't deserve any support??? It applies anywhere, even to your favourite football club. There is no racial sentiment here at all. If you think the top national leaders doing a good job now, go do some research on various reports/indicators on where Malaysia stands in the world now from neutral party. Compare now and 15 years back. Are we progressing or are we moving backwards?

      Posted 8 years ago by CK Loh · Reply

  • PH is undeniably arrogant and fistful and they thought that with Tun, they can achieve anything. They are wrong.

    Posted 8 years ago by Cp4Ab0115m3n7 De Syurga · Reply

  • When you are addicted to Dedak & Crutch - you will never have the courage to change. You will collect free dedak & crutch from UMNO Community Service Center. And you shall feed your children and grand children more dedak and hand them silver plated crutch.

    Posted 8 years ago by Chris Ng · Reply