YOUNG voters in tomorrow’s six state polls are expected to vote in favour of Perikatan Nasional (PN), independent pollster Ilham Centre’s survey found.

The think tank said young voters are fond of PN rather than the Pakatan Harapan (PH). 

“In the 15th general election, the voting pattern of young people, especially in the age range of 18 to 25, was in favour of PN. 

“It turns out that the information found in this study proves that the pattern still remains and that PH faces the challenge of attracting the support of this segment. 

“Although Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was aggressive in his dialogue sessions and meeting with young people in campuses, it appears that is not enough to shift a lot of their support to the ruling alliance,” Ilham Centre said in a statement today. 

Ilham Centre conducted the survey from July 29 to August 8, covering 2,304 respondents from the six states, including 48 who participated in in-depth interviews.

Data from face-to-face interviews were collected by enumerators using surveys and semi-structured interview protocols.

Six states – Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu – will go to polls tomorrow. 

According to statistics released by the Election Commission, it is expected that 4.9 million young voters between the ages of 18 and 39 will vote in the state polls. 

The pollster said an in-depth study on this group showed there was no sign of a significant movement of support for the unity government despite various plans implemented at federal level. 

“The Anwar rally, the campus tour, the provision of RM200 e-Tunai Belia to youth and so on… these efforts are not enough to attract interest and increase the support of young people as a whole,” the think think said. 

Ilham Centre said young voters these days clearly express their respective political stances. 

“There is no longer terms like voting is secret because they feel comfortable expressing their attitude and support. 

“Their decision-making tendencies differ based on demographics, psychographics and locality,” the study found. 

A total of 245 seats will be contested in six states tomorrow. 

Earlier, Ilham Centre predicted that PH-Barisan Nasional will retain Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Penang, while Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan will give their vote to PN. – August 11, 2023.