More Indian voters chose BN-PN than Harapan in N Sembilan polls, PKR reveals

 

PKR co-election director Amirudin Shari said BN and Perikatan Nasional captured more Indian votes than Pakatan Harapan in the Negeri Sembilan polls.

The Selangor menteri besar said the BN-PN cooperation captured 49.6 percent of Indian voters, compared with Harapan's 46.1 percent.

In his presentation at the PKR annual congress this morning, he contrasted this with results from the 2022 general election, in which Harapan received 77 percent of Indian votes, with another 17.6 percent going to BN and PN's 3.9 percent.

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"I speak on this matter to say that even though it seems difficult, even though it seems impossible, I am confident that we can do it because of what (PKR president) Anwar Ibrahim said.

"What did he say? 'I am a fighter'. Today, let us heed that call," he said at the PKR annual congress at the Melaka International Trade Centre this morning.

While campaigning for the Negeri Sembilan polls, Anwar apologised to Indian voters for his mistake of referring to houses of worship on disputed land as “illegal” last year.

Anwar Ibrahim

He was also criticised for describing the groundbreaking ceremony of a mosque on a disputed site as a “victory”.

Despite his apology, the swing of Indian voters to BN and PN was a factor in Harapan's disastrous loss in the Negeri Sembilan election.

Malaysiakini's analysis found that this, in combination with the BN-PN alliance consolidating Malay votes and the low turnout of Chinese voters, could cause Harapan to lose significant ground at the Parliament level and in states such as Malacca, Perak, Kedah, Pahang, and even Penang.

Different levels of support

Commenting further, Amirudin noted that Malay voters showed different levels of support depending on the state.

In Johor, Malay support fell from roughly 11 percent in 2022 to 7 percent in 2026, he said.

But in Negeri Sembilan, Malay support saw an upward trend, rising from 18 percent to 21 percent in the same period.

Chinese support remained strong, with Harapan enjoying 77 percent of the community's votes, he added.

Amirudin Shari

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Based on the data, he told the party that it must strike a balance between the interests of all ethnic communities.

"Today, if we announce allocations for Chinese schoolchildren, they (PKR's rivals) will immediately say that the Malays are neglected.

"If we help Indian schools, they say the Malays are forgotten," he said.

He acknowledged that BN and PN are a strong threat to Harapan as the two coalitions combined had commanded a staggering 80 percent of votes in Negeri Sembilan.

However, Amirudin expressed hope that the rival coalitions will soon fall apart, jokingly comparing their repeated unions to a marriage that has happened three times and is bound to end in divorce again. - Mkini