Najib’s house arrest row may spur voters to cast their ballots, say analysts

 While PH supporters may use their votes to signal disapproval of Najib Razak’s house arrest, BN and PN backers could rally behind the former prime minister.

An analyst says PH supporters will also be more motivated to send a message that they disagree with the decision to put former prime minister Najib Razak under house arrest.

PETALING JAYA:

Political analysts expect the controversy surrounding Najib Razak’s house arrest to galvanise supporters on both sides of the political divide, leading to higher overall voter turnout when Melaka goes to the polls this Saturday.

Pakatan Harapan (PH) supporters unhappy with the decision to grant Najib the privilege of serving the rest of his sentence under house arrest may be spurred to turn out in force at the ballot box, Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara and Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia told FMT.

Azmi Hassan.

On the other hand, those sympathetic towards Najib may also be inspired to come out in large numbers to cast their votes in favour of the Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional pact, Azmi said.

On Nov 9, Melaka PH chairman Adly Zahari said he did not expect the controversy surrounding Najib’s house arrest and the payment of his RM50 million fine to cost the coalition any votes.

He said the issue had attracted national attention but was unlikely to discourage PH supporters from voting.

Azmi said the government’s decision to make its position on the former prime minister’s house arrest process known had reassured PH supporters that the coalition remained true to its principles.

“PH supporters will also be more motivated to send a message that they disagree with the house arrest process. Therefore, this issue will not weaken support for PH in Melaka,” he said.

Similarly, Azmi said more BN and PN supporters might also turn out to vote because they believed Najib had been victimised by the attorney-general, whom they regarded as acting on the federal government’s instructions.

Azmi said the controversy had also diverted voters’ attention from local issues such as the cost of living and development.

He said this was significant because national issues, which typically had less influence on state elections, could now emerge as a major factor in mobilising voters.

Mazlan said traditional Umno voters, particularly Malays who still remembered the contributions of the former prime minister, were also likely to turn out to show their support for him.

In contrast, urban and semi-urban voters, particularly young people, the middle class and non-Malays, were more likely to view Najib’s house arrest as an unwarranted privilege that raised questions about political integrity and principles, he said.

Mazlan Ali.

Educated and non-Malay voters, particularly PH supporters, were unlikely to be swayed by the narrative that Najib had been victimised or needed to be defended, he added.

Mazlan also expected the issue to mobilise voters residing outside Melaka, including those from the Klang Valley and Johor Bahru, who had been following national political developments.

“However, voters will still base their decisions on everyday issues such as the cost of living, development and the performance of their respective elected representatives,” he added. - FMT