PH underestimated ground support for Azmin’s camp, says analyst

 

Political analysts say Azmin Ali and his allies retained ground support in Selangor despite their defection to Perikatan Nasional.

PETALING JAYA: A political analyst believes Pakatan Harapan may have underestimated the support in Selangor for former PKR leaders in the state, particularly Azmin Ali and those aligned with him.

Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said the PH lack of attention had been shown by the insufficient groundwork prior to the state assembly elections, and in PKR’s decision to field a parachute candidate to take on Azmin.

PH and its federal coalition ally Barisan Nasional “should have gone to the ground aggressively, as one team, to explain their cooperation and strengthen their grassroot support”, Awang Azman told FMT.

He said both coalitions appeared to assume there would be vote transferability – of BN votes going to PH candidates or vice versa – but this did not happen.

Awang Azman said PKR had taken a costly decision to field former Bukit Melawati assemblyman Juwairiya Zulkifli against Azmin in Hulu Kelang, which Azmin had first won in 1999.

He said there was strong grassroots support in Selangor for Azmin and his key supporters, Hilman Idham and Dr Afif Bahardin, which helped them to win in Hulu Kelang, Gombak Setia and Taman Medan respectively.

“They were the leaders of PKR before they defected to Bersatu, they are well known among the voters and Azmin was also the former Selangor menteri besar,” said Awang Azman.

Support for PKR in Selangor previously was not just related to the party itself, but also to grassroots leaders, including those involved in the 2020 Sheraton Move (when some MPs of Bersatu and PKR joined forces with BN and PAS, causing the collapse of the PH government).

“Many supporters of Azmin at the grassroots level remained loyal to him, and they continued to stand with him, ensuring their full commitment to his cause and making sure they went all out to secure victory,” he said.

Azmil Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia said Azmin and Hilman are well known in Selangor. “Voters do take this into consideration, even though they might not agree with PN’s agenda,” he said.

Azmil said hardcore PH supporters may not forgive them for their role in the Sheraton Move but those who support them as individual politicians are willing to look past it.

However, Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said the trio’s victory was a result of a shift in Malay voters’ preference in Selangor who favour a more conservative and religiously-oriented political ideology.

“The voters feel that Bersatu, which is in the same coalition as PAS in PN, would align more towards their conservative political preference,” he said. The voters are not particular about the candidates as they tend to vote for the PN logo. - FMT