PH warned of voter fatigue from recurrent PJ floods

 While the coalition may not lose parliamentary seats, its grasp on state seats can weaken through low turnout and protest votes, to the benefit of its rivals.

Analysts said some support for Pakatan Harapan may be washed away by the frequent floods in Petaling Jaya.

PETALING JAYA:

Pakatan Harapan (PH) has been warned that the recurring floods in Petaling Jaya could have a politically negative impact on the coalition in future elections.

Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani.

Analysts attribute this to voter fatigue caused by inconvenience to residents and financial losses to businesses.

Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, associate vice-president of the business consultancy and advisory services provider The Asia Group, and Syaza Shukri of the International Islamic University Malaysia, said the problem may not be big enough to cause PH to lose its parliamentary seats in Selangor.

On the other hand, Syaza said, PH will face a higher risk of losing state seats in Petaling Jaya.

Asrul said the frequent floods would add to growing voter dissatisfaction with PH after over 18 years of the coalition — and its previous iteration, Pakatan Rakyat — governing Selangor.

Syaza Shukri.

“The risk is lower voter turnout, protest votes and declining enthusiasm among PH supporters, especially if the issue reinforces a wider perception of complacency at both the state and federal levels,” he told FMT.

“This is particularly damaging because both the Selangor menteri besar and prime minister are from PKR, making it harder for either level of government to blame poor coordination or political differences for the lack of progress,” he added.

Syaza said voters have previously shown that they have been more willing to “punish” PH in state elections, citing PKR’s loss of the Taman Medan seat to Bersatu in 2023. Prior to the loss, PH had held the seat for three terms.

However, she said, voters will likely consider larger, national issues when they vote in parliamentary elections.

Asrul said that apart from being an inconvenience for residents in Petaling Jaya, the floods have also caused monetary losses for traders and small businesses.

“This makes the issue part of the broader cost-of-living and cost-of-doing-business debate, with affected voters increasingly viewing it as a failure of governance rather than simply an extreme weather event,” he said.

Torrential rain on Saturday triggered flash floods in parts of the Klang Valley, particularly Petaling Jaya, with vehicles damaged, houses and shoplots inundated, and the popular Medan Selera 223 food court flooded for the third time this year.

Experts had earlier said that Petaling Jaya’s old drainage system was not tailored for heavier rainfall caused by climate change, as well as the area’s rapid development, which has also led to fewer green “sponges” in the city.

No viable alternative yet

Nonetheless, it is not all that bad for PH.

Asrul and Syaza agree that PH still has greater credibility than Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the eyes of Petaling Jaya voters, giving it an advantage.

BN may hold better optics than PN among urban voters, but Syaza does not foresee the Petaling Jaya electorate choosing Malaysia’s grand old coalition over PH.

However, Asrul warned that simply relying on the fact that voters lacked better alternatives is unsustainable.

He pointed out that the Johor and Sabah polls have already shown that PH cannot take urban voters, widely seen as its support base, for granted.

“Dissatisfaction can translate into lower voter turnout, protest votes and significantly reduced majorities even where voters remain unconvinced by the opposition.

“Voters do not need to embrace the opposition wholeheartedly to punish an incumbent they believe has become complacent or failed to deliver,” Asrul added.

Syaza said the PH-led Selangor government must show voters that it is actively working on resolving the recurrent floods and other local issues, while Asrul said some solutions need to be in place before the next state election.

“The party must show that it understands public frustration, is willing to take responsibility, and can deliver tangible improvements ahead of the polls.

“Voters in strongholds such as Petaling Jaya increasingly expect performance, transparency and visible results rather than appeals based solely on fear of the opposition,” she added.

The next Selangor state election is not due until November 2028 unless the state assembly is dissolved earlier. - FMT