Challenging for 'mosquito parties' candidates to win GE15
SHAH ALAM - The potential of non-governmental organisation (NGO) candidates to win the 15th General Election (GE15) depends on which side or party acts as their 'umbrella'.
Universiti Malaya (UM) political analyst Associate Professor Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said the chance of winning the contested constituency was low for popular candidates who plan to contest under the logo of 'mosquito parties' or small parties.
"It will not work, especially the sentiment of voters in the peninsula who are more likely to support candidates based on the party they are in," he told Sinar Harian on Sunday.
He said this when commenting on the statement by the Pejuang Chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who had been reported to open the door to cooperation with Malay professionals and NGOs in facing GE15.
Commenting further on cooperation with Malay professionals and NGOs, Awang Azman said, such cooperation has existed in Malaysian politics by the parties in PH and BN.
“For example, Umno has cooperation with Malay professionals and NGOs both directly and indirectly.
"Cooperation with multi-ethnic NGOs is also done in accordance with the reality of Malaysia's plural society," he said.
Commenting on the same issue, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) political analyst Professor Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani, on the other hand, opined that there was no guarantee for Pejuang to win in the contested constituency if the party placed a candidate from a Malay NGO.
“The cooperation of this NGO is not enough to win the election. Because we don't even know the NGO candidate.
"People don't even know Pejuang that well yet because it is a new party, except for Dr Mahathir and (Datuk Seri) Mukhriz Mahathir," he explained.
Dr Aizuddin said to win in a constituency in an election, there must be a coalition of political parties whether partial, less or more dominant.
"As long as there is a coalition (of political party) and there is an appeal to the people to give them the mandate to rule the country," he said.
