Most Chinese back Pakatan, but Malay vote evenly split three ways, says report

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 14 Jun 2018 1:36PM · 8 Comments

Unhappiness with Najib Razak the goods and services tax led many Malays to desert BN, but they were also suspicious of PH because they feel it is dominated by the Chinese-majority DAP. – The Malaysian Insight file pix, June 14, 2018.

POLLSTER Merdeka Centre found that Chinese overwhelmingly cast their ballots for Pakatan Harapan in the May 9 general election, while the Malay vote was evenly split, the Straits Times reports.

Merdeka Centre found that 95% of Chinese voted for the four-party coalition led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, while 35-40% of Malays voted BN, another 30-33% supported PAS, and the remaining 25-30% picked PH. For Indian voters, 70-75% of them supported PH.

In the last election in 2013, 86% of Chinese voted for the now defunct Pakatan Rakyat opposition grouping that included PAS, as well as DAP and PKR, while 36% of Malays and 62% of Indians  backed PR. 

Analysts say the three-way split of Malay votes means that the support of  Malaysia’s largest ethnic group will be fiercely contested by the three main political groups.

The pollster’s data showed that though BN and PAS capture the bulk of Malay votes, at 70-75%, most of the Malays in the more prosperous west coast states of Johor, Malacca and Negri Sembilan supported PH, allowing the erstwhile opposition grouping to capture these states.

PAS meanwhile retained Kelantan, captured Terengganu and made inroads in the Malay heartland states of Kedah and Perak.

Merdeka Centre research manager Tan Seng Keat said unhappiness with Najib Razak the goods and services tax led many Malays to desert BN, but they were also suspicious of PH because they feel it is dominated by the Chinese-majority DAP.

This means PH leaders must carefully frame issues that could be sensitive to Malays, such as the appointment of Tommy Thomas, the first non-Malay attorney-general since independence, and the questioning of royal expenses.   

Amir Fareed Rahim, analyst at the KRA Group political consultancy: “If PH continues to push through what is seen as a ‘liberal’ agenda such as demonising royals, if Umno is not ready in five years, Malays will go to PAS.”

PH de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said last week that Malays were worried that by appointing a non-Malay as A-G, Malay rights and the position of Islam would be at risk.

But political scientist Wong Chin Huat, a fellow at think-tank Penang Institute, believes 20% more Malays would always support the government of the day.

“I would therefore believe PH will now have about, if not more than, 50% support amongst the Malays post-election.” – June 14, 2018. 

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Comments

  • ALSO, TO MAINTAIN AS WELL AS INCREASE THE MALAY VOTER BASE, ALL THINGS MALAY SHOULD BE ADRESSED..

    Posted 5 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • Uuhh. Why 35%-40%, 30-33%, 25-30%??? Don't they know EXACTLY??

    Posted 5 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • Again and again this so called professional analyst are coming back to race.This is new Malaysia please move forward,don't be stuck in the racial issues.Any qualified person with integrity can be the Attorney General or any other post in this Malaysia.We have to start somewhere and this is the right time.

    Posted 5 years ago by Umasangkar Govindasamy · Reply

    • Although idealistic but we need to face reality. No point tiptoeing around the race issue as it has always and will always be a factor in Malaysia politics for the common mass. The key is to reduce support for race based parties so that the leadership will steer away from using race as an issue.

      Posted 5 years ago by Peter Ng · Reply

  • First initial set of numbers from EC gave estimate that PAS had fewer Malay votes than Pakatan. This "polling", clearly had some pre-bias in it to show otherwise.

    Posted 5 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • When are Malays going to grow up and choose a government that works for progress and prosperity for all? Or are they still afraid of work?

    Posted 5 years ago by Chin Tu Lan · Reply

    • This is the kind of reply that doesnt auger well for a new attitude change that you guys wanted. You wanted a non racial based politics but you keep mentioning "Malay this, Malay that" and then you will get some reply that says "Chinese this, Chinese that". Now what do you want? The only real Malay power base is UMNO and PAS, whether you like it or not. I want as much as you guys do to get rid of Jibbie but not to destroy UMNO like what Dr,M did before but now hes back at the helm, We want Anuar Ibrahim not Dr.M.How many wannabe Malay parties have come and go? Semangat 46, UMNO Lama/Baru, Nik Aziz PAS and Hadi PAS are two different parties. If you want PH to last into GE16 better not talk "Malay this, Malay that" because as it is there signs that Dr,M PH is not going to be permanent because Dr.M is bound (already did one) to do something that will raise the ire of the Malays and Malays will be back with UMNO much stronger. Mark my words.

      Posted 5 years ago by Kakistocracy my · Reply

  • I am wondering how in the world (Malaysia) did Merdeka Centre or whatever it is got their figures? I thought only the EC has the statistics or PM special services office or PDRM SB got the ACTUAL figures. If it is tabulated based on survey or other statistical methods then the figures presented here could go either way
    If this centre is arguing that it got the actual figures than it proves that your votes are not a secret anymore. But as we know it only the 3 mentioned Government agencies have the actual figures.I would take this as an off the cuff figures bythis centre (maybe otak tak centre)

    Posted 5 years ago by Kakistocracy my · Reply