Field more young candidates to woo Kedah youth, BN-PH told

 

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s town hall events with public university students in Kedah have been well received by Kedah youth, analysts said. (Bernama pic)

ALOR SETAR: The Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional alliance in Kedah must field younger candidates in the coming state election to attract the youth vote, says an analyst.

Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) noted that, unlike Perikatan Nasional, the unity coalition in Kedah does not have leaders who are popular among the youth.

In contrast, PAS has many young leaders who are close to the Kedah electorate, he told FMT.

“Umno needs to present fresh faces in the coming state election, and so does PH. Having at least 50% of young candidates would show that they are committed to letting Kedah be led by young (people) with new ideas for a new Kedah.

“Leaders from both BN and PH need to be closer to the rakyat. There is still time if they are serious about attracting youth support in Kedah,” said Mazlan.

He was commenting after Kedah BN chief Mahdzir Khalid called on young Kedahans to align the state with the federal leadership by voting for PH-BN at the state polls on Aug 12. Mahdzir also dismissed talk that young Kedahans favoured PN as appeared to be the case in the general election last November.

Azizuddin Sani of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) said Umno’s internal squabbling and PH’s failure to penetrate rural Kedah may affect the coalition’s chances at the polls.

“It is not that Umno does not provide opportunities to the youths (to contest), it is just that the previous internal rows in the party are making it disunited and weak. However, the row appears to have been settled and Umno is more united in facing the election.

“Whereas PH, despite giving opportunities to the young leaders – which is evident with Sungai Petani MP Taufiq Johari who is a doctor in his 20s – focuses too much on the urban and suburban areas.

“PH is yet to expand its influence in rural areas,” Azizuddin told FMT, adding that the coalition needs to ramp up its outreach efforts to youth in rural Kedah.

Anwar’s youth outreach bearing fruit for BN-PH

Despite PN winning 14 of the 15 parliamentary seats in Kedah at GE15, both Azizuddin and Mazlan said the unity coalition was capable of winning over the youth in the state, following inroads made by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim with public university students at town hall events in the state.

“I see that the youths are receptive towards the prime minister, which shows that their minds are not closed although they have supported a particular party. They can still make a swing.

“In political science, we look at youths as the participant voters, whose political views are influenced by current issues. They are not fanatical towards a particular political party, compared to another type of voter- the subject voters – who would not change the status quo. They consist of old-timers.

“The number of participant voters is much higher than the subject voters. If the prime minister – with his way of reaching out to the youths – is able to gain their trust, (BN-PH) would be able to get 30% which is enough to narrow the (electoral) performance gap, even if they (unity coalition) might not be able to win Kedah,” said Mazlan.

Meanwhile, Azizuddin said Anwar’s outreach to university students was to explain the pressing issues they are facing, particularly in terms of the cost of education, job opportunities, and foreign investments.

University students have also benefited from cash aid of RM200 under the federal government’s e-Tunai belia Rahmah initiative, he said.

Citing surveys he has conducted on Kedahan voters, Azizuddin said Anwar’s devotion to poverty eradication, education and battling corruption has begun to change opinion in the state.

However, Mazlan said Kedah’s unity coalition would need to work hard by putting forward a racially diverse state government that appeals to Kedahan youth of all races and bring political stability to the state.

“Kedah needs investments. When Kedah’s politics is stable, investors will pour into Kedah, and with assistance from the federal government, this state could become (prosperous) like Penang and Selangor (and) contribute a lot to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

“I am confident that if the youths support (PH-BN), Mahdzir’s wish would be realised and Kedah could become a developed state as it would be administered by political parties that would offer political stability in both Kedah and at the federal (level),” Mazlan said.

He also called on Putrajaya to play its part in wooing Kedahan youth by spreading information on what it is doing for them on social media.

Azizuddin said that the Kedah BN-PH coalition needs to offer the state’s youth educational and economic incentives as these two items are their topmost priorities.

“Sports is also something that is close to the youths and the (unity coalition) might offer new incentives and opportunities for them, together with youth activities,” he said. - FMT