Will disappointment turn Johor's Indian voters against Harapan?

 

JOHOR POLLS | Johor’s Indian voters may be another demographic that could tip the scales against Pakatan Harapan in Saturday’s state election.

A straw poll in greater Johor Bahru suggests disappointment with Harapan runs through the Indian community, raising questions over whether voters will shun the ballot box or back rival coalitions.

Yet despite their shared resentment, those who spoke to Malaysiakini said what they do on Saturday depends on where they draw the line.

For Umadevi, 55, exercising her constitutional right to vote is an act she approaches not with enthusiasm, but with resignation, which she attributes to years of broken promises and unfulfilled pledges.

“Many people are already fed up - we depend on something to work, but in the end, it’s all the same,” she said while on a break from her duties as a KK Mart cashier.

Her family’s voting history mirrors that of many Malaysians. The single mother said they once backed BN out of habit before switching to Harapan in hopes of “change and better things”.

Johor BN supporters

“They’ll say this and that, (talk about what they) want to do… then nothing, zero - it’s all just promises,” she said.

While the Skudai voter remains unsure of who she will support on July 11, she affirmed that she and her family members in town will head to their respective polling stations to perform their civic duty.

“Whatever it is, kita anak Malaysia (children of Malaysia) - we will vote,” she stressed.

A similar calculus is at play for Kabilan, 25, another Skudai voter who has yet to let his political frustrations turn into apathy, choosing instead to remain cautiously optimistic.

While admitting that he has not closely followed this election’s campaigns beyond being aware of the emergence of “some new parties”, Kabilan singled out Bersama’s political movement as one which could potentially have his backing.

“I think they have a chance because their manifesto looks good - they could bring about a new beginning.

Bersama's Johor Jaya candidate, Lau Yi Leong

“Every vote counts - I’m leaning towards something different, and hopefully Bersama can be that change,” he said.

Kabilan also pushed back against the narrative of a failed government, arguing that leaders at both the state and federal levels are doing their best within the constraints they face and should be judged on their overall performance.

“They’ve done something every month; when you combine it all, then you can see that there is progress,” he said.

The Indian vote is an easily overlooked variable in this state election, as many Johor state seats are mixed constituencies.

Even in seats regarded as Chinese-majority, the proportion of Indian voters generally approaches or exceeds 10 percent of the electorate. As such, any shift in support from this community could alter the final results.

A former voter walks away

While Umadevi and Kabilan still intend to vote despite their disappointment, the same cannot be said for Amu, 43, who said her frustration with Harapan’s perceived failure to champion Indian issues is why she does not intend to vote at all.

Amu clarified that she has voted before, and enthusiastically so: she backed Harapan under its chairperson and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad before him, hopeful each time that change was finally within reach.

Pakatan Harapan chairperson Anwar Ibrahim

However, she said that she has come away disenchanted, particularly over what she described as a lack of progress for the Indian community, citing university matriculation quotas and the demolition of Hindu temples.

“We were excited to vote last time because we wanted change. Before this, I would take leave from work to come back and vote, but now, even if (polling day) is on my off-day, I won’t go vote.

“I’m really fed up - none of their promises are true. When they’re campaigning, they will say all sorts of things, but there is little happening (on the ground),” she asserted.

Amu further declared that the inclusion of new parties during this election has done little to change her mind on not voting, saying: “I’m not interested - there will always be more colours (of political parties’ flags), they can come, but our situation will never change.”

A lifelong supporter stays loyal

Yet not every voter approached by Malaysiakini shared the same sense of disappointment.

Stulang voter Rajagopal, 75, a retired civil servant, offered a counterpoint. His allegiance remained with BN because it had never shifted to Harapan in the first place.

Rajagopal said he and his wife have shown up at every polling station during every election he can recall, and he does not anticipate this one being any different.

Having caught glimpses of campaign material on his phone, he confirmed his backing remains, as it long has, with BN.

Drawing on decades in the civil service, Rajagopal’s chief concern lies less with broken pledges than with what he sees as a gradual erosion of workplace fairness in Malaysia.

“It would be better to have some changes work-wise, more opportunities. Last time, there were a lot, now not so much,” he said, adding briefly that his time in government service had shown him a different era of racial equality.

Rajagopal may not be alone in backing BN. Before nomination day, a Merdeka Centre survey found caretaker Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi enjoyed a 94 percent approval rating among Indian respondents, compared with 92 percent among Malays, and 53 percent among Chinese. - Mkini