Malay-majority seat too risky for Anwar

Updated 7 years ago · Published on 11 Sep 2018 11:15AM · 4 Comments

Anwar Ibrahim on the campaign trail with Balakong assemblyman Wong Siew Ki a few days before the by-election on Saturday. The PKR president-elect is popular among non-Malays. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Nazir Sufari, September 11, 2018.

ANWAR Ibrahim must avoid contesting in Malay-majority parliamentary seats as Malay support for Pakatan Harapan is still shaky, Utusan Malaysia reports.

It quoted political analyst Ainul Adzellie Hasnul from research outfit Skydata Centre, who said Malay sentiment towards the new government was fragile over several sensitive issues involving race.

Ainul also said campaigning in Malay-majority seats was easier to sabotage by those who did not want Anwar to win.

Safer seats for the PKR president-elect, who needs to hold a parliamentary seat before he can succeed Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister, would be mixed-seats where non-Malay voters form more than 50% of the electorate.

Seats, such as Selayang and Pandan, would be the safest for a by-election, based on voters’ racial breakdown, he said.

“The priority is to ensure that Anwar wins. So seats where there are more Chinese and Indians would be the best choices,” Utusan quoted him as saying.

A study by Ilham Centre on the 14th general election results showed that in the peninsula, 45% of Malay voters supported Umno and Barisan Nasional, while PH only managed to get 17% of Malay support.

Malay support for Pakatan Harapan headed by Dr Mahathir Mohamad (centre) remains fragile. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, September 11, 2018.

It said support for PH had been due mainly to protest votes against Umno and its former president and prime minister Najib Razak.

PAS also obtained more Malay support than PH at 35% in the peninsula.

Among the more prominent issues that have riled up Malay sentiment against the new government are the appointment of Tommy Thomas, a non-Muslim, as the attorney-general, and of another non-Muslim, Richard Malanjum, as chief justice.

Speculation has been rife on the seat Anwar will contest and an announcement is to be made tomorrow.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has denied talk that it will be in Penang and Kedah.

He also dismissed suggestions that Pandan, held by Anwar’s wife, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizan Wan Ismail, would be vacated.

Another possibility mentioned has been Port Dickson, which Saifuddin refused to comment on when asked by the Malay Mail Online. – September 11, 2018.

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Comments

  • It's not only Anwar that has difficulty standing in Malay majority seat. Almost all PKR leaders can only bank on significant non-Malay votes. So much nonsense from Anwar ball-lickers like Rafizi, Sani, Nurul and others as if they are all so great.

    Posted 7 years ago by Jackal Way · Reply

  • Should be safe enough. I think PKR is worrying too much. Just get it over and done with, taxpayers money at stake.

    Posted 7 years ago by Ramli Sirap · Reply

  • 509 : 17 % Malay voted for PH ? Totally wrong. Nonsense report.
    Ask Rafizi lah

    Posted 7 years ago by Tam Yan Cheng · Reply

  • All these so called 'arm chair' analyst forget what happened during GE14. The so called Malay fortresses fell to Pkatan Harapan because of Malay support too. In the few by elections after GE 1, the combined forces of UMNO & PAS were defeated too. Malays have started to realise that 'corruption' is the real evil that is destroying the nation. When will UMNO and PAS fight corruption and present a clean image?

    Posted 7 years ago by Shaikh karim · Reply