Stand beside the people, don't let them down

SHAH ALAM - In efforts to attract people to vote, politicians need to be close to every grassroot groups without showing the party's interest.

Political analyst from Universiti Sains Malaysia Professor Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said today, many people were disappointed with the attitude displayed by some politicians who were still 'busy' with political issues rather than giving attention to what the people need after the 14th General Election (GE14).

"Today, in political fatigue, a total of 63 per cent of voters are disappointed with the politicians' attitude of not prioritising the issues faced by the people such as the cost of living, employment opportunities, education, unemployment and welfare.

"Because the generation today could easily get access to information through social media, politicians need to restore the public's confidence and trust by displaying a charismatic leadership, credibility and integrity.

"If they work towards solving the issues faced by the people and put behind their political interests and show continuous effort to reach out to each targetted group, I believe there will be a change in terms of the numbers," he said when contacted on Thursday.

Earlier, Sinar Harian reported that PKR deputy president candidate Rafizi Ramli claimed that 63 per cent of voters in the country were clueless in choosing the party to vote for in GE15 as they were expecting a reform.

Commenting further, Sivamurugan said there were voters that preferred to look at an issue which also influenced their involvement in politics.

Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Mara Shah Alam political and social media analyst Associate Professor Dr Sara Chinnasamy was of the view that political parties need to formulate plans to attract new demographics, especially the Undi18 group.

"Young voters want fresh faces, new ideas and candidates who are clean, capable, honest and responsible. They want a political party that has clear principles and realistic ideas.

"Support from the youths will be gained by fielding candidates who possess the characteristics they are looking for.

"Studies found that young voters are smarter in evaluating information that is widely disseminated or spread on social media," she said.

In the meantime, Sara said welfare of the people should be given priority by all politicians.

"Don't just make a manifesto and then break promises because it will leave bad impressions on the leaders and political parties concerned.

"Gain the support of the Malays, especially in the rural areas because it will definitely give the group an advantage in voting apart from being able to determine the Malay political dominance," she said.