40% loss of Chinese support, anger led to Pakatan defeat in Tg Piai

Sheridan Mahavera Sheridan Mahavera Updated 4 years ago · Published on 22 Nov 2019 10:50AM · 4 Comments

Voters queuing up at SJK (C) Yu Ming 1 polling centre in Pekan Nanas during last Saturday’s Tg Piai by-election. BN won the seat by more than 15,000 votes. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain.

CHINESE support for Pakatan Harapan fell by about 40% in the Tg Piai by-election and was one of the main reasons the coalition lost the seat, according to data from pollster Ilham Centre.

The community, which voted overwhelmingly for PH in the 14th general election, cast protest votes against the government over its 18-month performance

Malay support for PH remained relatively unchanged as it fell only fell by 5.1%, said Ilham Centre’s head of research Dr Mohd Yusri Ibrahim.  

The anger towards PH from Tg Piai voters from all ethnic groups was “extraordinary” and almost irrational, said Yusri. 

“Voters were telling us they were angry because they were just angry with Pakatan. They were angry to the point where they couldn’t even explain why they were angry,” said Yusri on feedback from voters. 

PH suffered one of the worse defeats of a ruling coalition in a by-election when the Barisan Nasional candidate won by more than 15,000 votes.

In the 14th general election, PH wrested Tg Piai from BN by 524 votes.

Ilham Centre’s survey among voters for four days during the campaigning period predicted PH’s loss by almost 16,000 votes.

The survey found that 83% of Malays and 68.4% of Chinese respondents were leaning towards BN in the by-election.

Overall, respondents were unhappy with the PH administration and its management of the economy.

The survey found that more than 65% of Tg Piai voters felt that cost-of-living problems had worsened under PH compared with BN’s stint in power.

Almost 70% of respondents were also dissatisfied with Putrajaya’s performance, while more than 60% were unhappy with PH’s Johor administration.

“These sentiments towards the government from our survey were reflective of the voting trend in Tg Piai,” said Yusri.

The high regard towards BN’s candidate, Wee Jeck Seng, was an extra factor that pushed Tg Piai towards the opposition, as the former MP had served the constituency for the past 10 years. – November 22, 2019.

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Comments

  • Simple.

    Malays are angry with lesser handouts.

    Chinese are angry with unfulfilled promises, old policies unchanged, and cases of justice unanswered.

    Posted 4 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • Pakatans complacency did them in..but have they learnt anything from the loss. They are fighting and bickering more than ever now. Hate is starting to build up for this government.

    Posted 4 years ago by Elyse Gim · Reply

  • Anger by voters in Tg Piai is not irrational. Malaysians are not irrational people. Voting against Bersatu and in particular Tun was not irrational. It is his failure to put in place the reforms that they promised to induce us to vote for him for eg limiting the term of any person as PM, the appointment of senior positions of institutions to be made by Parliament, the repeal of much disliked and unfair laws such as Sosma, Sedition, Printing and Publishing Act, removing monopolies and duopolies and APs,

    Posted 4 years ago by Michael Raj · Reply

  • They r asking the wrong ppl who simply cannot answer u. Pls try to check why ppl r angry through social media and netizens.

    Posted 4 years ago by Chong Choong Kian · Reply