Perception of disunity can dent PH’s chances in Johor polls, says academic

 

PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim has tried to play down talk of a disunited opposition following his party’s decision to use its own logo and not PH’s in the polls.

PETALING JAYA: An academic has warned Pakatan Harapan (PH) that its chances of winning the Johor elections are adversely affected by the public perception that it is disunited.

James Chin of University of Tasmania said it was futile for PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim to play down talk of a disunited opposition following his party’s decision to use its own logo in the polls.

Speaking to FMT, he said some voters would be questioning PH’s ability to form a government since it could not even agree on the use of a common logo.

Anwar has been insisting that PKR’s decision has not affected ties among PH parties. He has also said that the strategy has been used before to no ill effect and accused unnamed parties of playing up the issue to divide the opposition.

James Chin.

Chin said even diehard PH supporters would be “very disappointed” that the coalition would not be using its logo and might not go out to vote.

He speculated that voter turnout in urban areas would especially be affected.

“Perception matters,” he said. “Even those who really hate Barisan Nasional won’t come out to vote because they are unhappy with the opposition.”

He added that in Chinese-majority areas, the perception of a divided opposition would compound the community’s anger with DAP, as happened in the recent Melaka polls.

Azmil Tayeb.

He said older voters might use Covid-19 as an excuse to sit out the polls.

Azmil Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia said voter turnout in state elections had always been low.

But he also spoke of voter fatigue, “especially when they see no viable alternative” to choose from.

“Such is the case now,” he added. - FMT