65 Parliament seats to be won with razor thin margin: pollster

Reinforcing widespread prediction of the closest fought general election in the nation's history, a local public opinion specialist said that some 65 parliamentary seats could be won by razor thin majorities.

"In the 222-seat national parliament 65 seats can be won with under three percent margin. This shows how close things are," said Ibrahim Suffian of independent pollster Merdeka Centre for Policy Research.

Ibrahim, speaking to Al Jazeera's 101 East talkshow, whose transcript has been made available to Harakahdaily, attributed this to the influx of new and media-savvy young voters who have access to "all kinds of information".

He pointed out that such a "digital divide" - between voters exposed to the internet and those in the rural areas where voters are "more cut off" - will also decide the kind of issues they strongly feel about, including corruption, which according to Ibrahim has topped a list of public concerns in the last 18 months.

"Voters that are having greater access to information see this as problem number one and are likely going to use this as an issue that motivates them to vote. Those in the rural areas who are more cut off continue to see the government as the benefactor who provides aid and financial service to them to get through a hard life," he added.

The show, to be aired tomorrow, also pits BN's Pulai MP Nur Jazlan Mohamed with DAP's publicity chief and Petaling Jaya Utara MP, Tony Pua, with members of the audience comprising activists, politicians and ordinary Malaysians.

Both panelists are grilled with questions on such issues as consensus among PR parties, electoral corruption disguised as government handouts, racially charged rhetoric and the choice of the next prime minister.

-Harakahdaily