Tough for BN to recapture Selangor in GE14, says think-tank

GE14 | A Selangor think-tank today said BN will face a tough challenge to recapture the state in the upcoming 14th general election.

Institute Darul Ehsan (IDE) chief executive Prof Dr Redzuan Othman also predicted that PAS would similarly find it difficult to retain even one seat in Selangor.

He said this was based on its survey findings that more Malays from urban and semi-urban polling districts will vote for Harapan in GE14.

"We found that in Selangor, even with the re-delineation exercise, more Malays in urban and semi-urban polling districts said they will support Harapan.

"In this scenario, it would be difficult for BN to take over Selangor," he said in presenting findings of the "Malaysia Survey 2018" that polled 4,920 respondents nationwide from March 23 to March 26.

The results for Selangor, however, were based on an earlier statewide survey with 3,277 respondents from all 56 state seats.

Specifically, Redzuan (photo) said the survey found that 39 percent of Malay respondents in urban polling district would give their support to Harapan, compared to 34 percent for BN, 22 percent for PAS and five percent undecided.

In the semi-urban polling districts, IDE's survey found that 41 percent Malay respondents said they would support Harapan, in comparison to 33 percent for BN, 21 percent for PAS and four percent undecided.

"Take for example the Ijok state seat, Pekan Ijok is considered an urban polling district while the area near the paddy fields is considered as rural," Redzuan explained.

Unlike the urban and semi-urban polling districts, survey results for the rural polling districts showed that 61 percent Malay voters would vote for BN, 22 percent for Harapan, 17 percent for PAS and none were undecided.

Overall, the survey found that 65 percent of Selangor respondents would continue to support Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali (photo) after GE14.

"We have to see that the leadership of Azmin is something that gives a huge impact to Selangor," said Redzuan who cited, among others, policies launched under the state's Peduli Rakyat initiatives.

'Azmin most popular'

In its March survey, IDE also found that 46 percent of respondents polled Azmin as Malaysia's most promising future leader, while Bersatu deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir ranked second with 38 percent.

Redzuan said the others who collectively recorded 16 percent of support were Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. - Mkini