OVERWHELMING support of young voters in marginal seats helped Pakatan Harapan (PH) defeat incumbent Barisan Nasional in the 14th general election (GE14), said Bersatu Youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman. 

Citing Muar, Johor Baru, Titiwangsa and Setiawangsa as example, he said PH won these marginal seats thanks to the large population of young voters aged below 40 in the areas.

“In Pagoh, (Bersatu president) Tan Sri Muhyiddin (Yassin) lost a lot of the older voters (saluran 1-3) but he won with huge majorities in almost all the youth channels (saluran 4.6).

“In Johor Baru, all the votes in the youth channels went to PH except three (voting districts). 

“In Muar, all the votes in the youth channels went to PH except in two (voting districts).

“This shows that youth voters were keen for change,” said Syed Saddiq in a forum on Malaysia’s changed political landscape and youth aspirations, at Sunway University today. 

In Kelantan, Terengganu and parts of Kedah, however, the youth voted predominantly for PAS, said Syed Saddiq.

“It’s the exact opposite. PAS won hands down in the youth channels. We lost our deposit in a lot of areas. We were thrashed. 

“The youth in Klang Valley spent money to go back to vote for PAS. Even bigwig (former PAS  spiritual leader) Tok Guru’s mentee like Husam Musa lost bigtime.

“In Kedah, we lost in areas like Pendang because of youth voters,” said Syed Saddiq.

PH did not win a single seat in Kelantan and Terengganu in GE14. 

PAS defied pollsters’ predictions, sweeping to a convincing victory in Terengganu by winning 22 of its 32 state seats and six of its eight parliamentary constituencies. 

The Islamist party also strengthened its two-decade hold in Kelantan, winning 37 of the 45 state seats and nine of the 14 parliamentary constituencies.

Syed Saddiq said it was thanks to Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Mukhriz Mahathir’s popularity that PH was able to curb PAS’s traditional influence in Kedah.

PH won 10 of the federal seats in Kedah, PAS three, and BN two. It won 18 of the state seats, PAS 15, and BN three.

Syed Saddiq said PH must carefully manage the left-right wing split among the youth. 

“We cannot be too confident thinking that everyone is ready (for change), that we can bulldoze through changes very quickly.

“One way (to change the mindset) is to lock in institutional reforms as quickly as possible so that we (start developing) democratic norms and practices.

“(Once) we change the mindsets of people, no matter who forms the government, the reforms will continue.”

Youth voters make up 41% of the 14.9 million voters in GE14, and 36% of 13.3 million voters in GE13 in 2013.  – July 9, 2018.