BN needs PN votes to unseat Loke in Chennah, says analyst

 Lau Zhe Wei says DAP's support base remains strong enough that MCA must also attract PN voters to stand a chance.

BN’s Chennah candidate, Siow Kong Choon, had said that Chinese voters are no longer a ‘fixed deposit’ for DAP.

PETALING JAYA:

Barisan Nasional’s best shot at unseating DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook in Chennah lies in winning over Perikatan Nasional (PN) supporters rather than making significant inroads among Chinese voters, says a political analyst.

Lau Zhe Wei.

Lau Zhe Wei of International Islamic University Malaysia said the Johor election showed that MCA struggles to win broad support from Chinese voters, meaning even a small shift from that group could count as a win.

“What’s most important this time is for MCA to bring about a shift in votes from PN to MCA. If that happens, MCA will easily win that seat,” he told FMT.

Lau said the electoral dynamics in Negeri Sembilan differed from Johor because DAP’s Chinese-majority seats in the state were more secure.

“In Johor, there are many mixed seats and DAP’s winning majorities weren’t large. But in Negeri Sembilan, DAP’s seats are strong because the share of the Chinese population is high.

“Even if Chinese support for DAP fell to 70%, DAP would still win that seat because of the voter composition there,” he said.

His comments follow remarks by BN’s Chennah candidate, Siow Kong Choon, that Chinese voters were no longer a “fixed deposit” for DAP, and that voters were now choosing based on candidates and performance rather than sentiment alone.

Chin Yee Mun.

Chennah will see a straight fight between Siow and Loke, who has represented the seat since 2013 and is seeking a fourth consecutive term. Loke won the constituency by a majority of about 2,200 votes in the 2023 state election.

Chin Yee Mun of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman said Chinese voters had never been a “fixed deposit” for any party, as their support shifts with the political climate.

“We saw a major shift in 2008 when Chinese support moved from BN to DAP and its allies. Now, after three general elections, there are signs of another shift, as seen in Sabah and Johor,” he said. - FMT