SHAH ALAM – A local, a religious figure and a representative comparable to the previous elected representative: that’s what the constituents of the Sungai Kandis state constituency in Selangor prefer, according to a survey.
The survey, conducted by Institut Darul Ehsan (IDE) on July 11 and 12, found that 35 per cent of the voters want a local as their representative and 13 per cent want a religious figure, according to the IDE Research Cluster.
A statement issued by the IDE Research Cluster said that some 48 per cent more want a representative who is comparable to the previous elected representative.
“A representative with a local background is seen as one who will better meet the needs of the voters who want a local voice representing them in solving issues raised. The voters also hope that the elected representative can function and discharge his duties as well as the previous representative,” it said.
The Sungai Kandis by-election has been necessitated by the death of the assemblyman, Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei of PKR, on July 2. It is a three-cornered contest among Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni of Pakatan Harapan, Datuk Lokman Noor Adam of Barisan Nasional and independent candidate K. Murthy. Polling is on Aug 4.
Mohd Zawawi is a local who runs a Maahad Tahfiz religious school in the constituency. Lokman hails from Johor while Murthy is from Klang. On the mood or attitude of the voters, the statement said 81 per cent of the voters, mostly aged 35 and above, are eager and excited to go to the polls while the younger voters are adopting a “wait-and-see” attitude.
“Some 19 per cent of the voters of various ages have taken different stands with regard to the by-election, such as not wanting to go to the polls (seven per cent), tired of voting (nine per cent), difficult to get leave and living far away.
“However, the factors of candidates, campaigns and other matters will have an impact on the percentage voter turnout on Aug 4, which is a Saturday. In the 14th general election, the voter turnout was 85.8 per cent,” it said.
In this regard, the statement said, it would be a challenge for the competing parties to campaign to ensure that the voters will go to the polls.
It also said that the survey, conducted among the voters of the 19 polling districts in the constituency, also analysed the voter attitude during the general election process to determine the factors that motivated them to make their decisions.
“Evidently, the factors of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, rejection of the BN, manifesto pledge to abolish GST (goods and services tax) and the ability of Pakatan Harapan to govern, especially in Selangor, had drawn the support of the voters, particularly the Malays.
“The findings of the survey are also an indicator that the success of the Pakatan Rakyat/Pakatan Harapan administration in Selangor for 10 years had made the Malays in Selangor feel that Pakatan Harapan can be the political platform for the Malays,” it said.
The Sungai Kandis constituency has 51,230 registered voters, comprising 51,217 ordinary voters and 13 absentee voters.
— BERNAMA
