Polls: Analysts, party heads hold differing views on voter turnout

GEORGE TOWN - As a matter of consensus, the Election Commission (EC) usually looks for about 70 per cent of voters to carry out their responsibility to determine the formation of the government, but there is a trend of decreasing voter turnout after the 14th general election (GE) in 2018.

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) political analyst Datuk Prof Dr P. Sivamurugan believes that the state election this time will show the same trend for each state because registered voters are describing it as not so important as the government has already been formed at the federal level.

Sivamurugan said that in Penang the turnout trend is also expected to decrease due to the poor response to political party campaigns for almost two weeks and the state polls appeared to be not as popular as GE15.

"The (political party's) campaign is targeting online more by using social media and speeches are seen as bland and the vote campaigners are active at the last moment to raise voter turnout," he told Bernama.

According to him, the out-of-state voters feel there is no need to return and voters may even put up protest vote to show dissatisfaction with the political arena of the country.

The trend was highlighted during the state elections in Sabah at 67 per cent, Melaka (65 per cent), Sarawak (61 per cent) and Johor at 55 per cent due to the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic which began in March 2020.

The voter turnout also fell during GE15 to 73 per cent compared to GE14 at 83 per cent in 2018.

However, Penang Pakatan Harapan chairman Chow Kon Yeow was optimistic that the polls turnout this time would reach over 70 per cent because in every series of campaigns and talks, Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates have been reminding and appealing to their voters. to cast their ballot on Saturday.

"In every visit, talk and statement we do emphasise and call on voters to come out en masse to choose the government and candidate," he said.

Chow said each candidate in the coalition has its own method when campaigning, including involving party leaders in the Unity Government when going out to meet voters.

The same opinion was expressed by Penang Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman, Datuk Dr Dominic Lau when PN candidates have been calling on voters to vote and know their rights as citizens in their sessions to introduce their candidates.

"Therefore, I see that PN candidates apart from walkabout and going to the ground, also use social media such as TikTok, Facebook to channel messages to voters and I call on all voters to go out to vote on Aug 12," he said.

The president of Gerakan and the candidate for the Bayan Lepas state constituency said that in addition to their responsibilities as citizens, going out to vote is also a determinant of the people's representatives who will serve in their area for a period of five years.

On Tuesday EC deputy chairman Dr Azmi Sharom said the turnout for this state election is targeted at 70 per cent and it is likely that the figure will be lower.

A total of 570 candidates are competing for 245 state assembly seats in the state elections in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah while there is straight fight in the by-election for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary constituency.

Earlier, EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Salleh said a total of 168 candidates contesting in the state elections were from Perikatan Nasional (PN), Pakatan Harapan (PH) 137 candidates, Barisan Nasional (BN) 108 candidates and 77 candidates are representing PAS. - BERNAMA