PRM, Independent candidates' participation has no effect in KKB by-election

SHAH ALAM - The participation of Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) and Independent candidates in the Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) state by-election does not have any significant impact on the four-cornered contest.

Political analyst from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Professor Dr Ahmad Marthada Mohamed said this was because both candidates were seen as lacking strong support, thus facing the risk of losing their respective deposits.

"If we look at it comprehensively, the participation of both the Independent and PRM candidates, in my opinion, do not have any impact because, firstly, they do not have support and secondly, this contest is similar to previous ones, focusing more on the two major coalition parties, Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH).

"So, in my opinion, both representatives will not receive any support," he told Sinar.

Marthada said currently, the dynamics in the KKB by-election were more about the contest between Malay and non-Malay candidates, similar to other areas.

"In other areas during the previous general election (GE), if the majority population is Malay, there tends to be strong support for a Malay candidate among Malay voters. This is why PN fielded a Malay candidate.

"However, in areas where Malays do not have a majority, this time we see that the percentage of Indian voters is also significant, comprising 18 per cent, along with 37 pe rcent Chinese voters.

"This also indicates that the dependence on non-Malay voters is also very important, which is why I see the contest being more directed towards PN and PH," he said.

Meanwhile, he said the personal attacks launched against candidates in the by-election were not deemed overly aggressive and were considered a common occurrence in politics

"It is natural during elections that a detailed analysis of a candidate will be conducted, especially looking at their background, education and family support for politicians.

"Not only outsiders, but even voters also want to ensure that the candidates contesting have integrity and one aspect that will certainly be considered is their educational background because today we need candidates with good education and high integrity," he said.