Conduct sentiment analysis before nominating candidates - Political expert
A political expert said young voters played a key role in the outcome.
SHAH ALAM - Sentiment analysis should be conducted before nominating candidates.
Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Faculty of Communication and Media Studies professor Datuk Dr Ismail Sualman said young voters played a key role in the outcome.
He said this following the Mahkota by-election, where Barisan Nasional (BN) achieved a resounding victory, securing a majority four times larger than the previous election, while Perikatan Nasional (PN) trailed significantly.
"BN was seen to successfully present a young and fresh candidate who became the choice of voters in Mahkota.
"Therefore, a sentiment analysis should be conducted before candidate nomination," he said when contacted today.
He said advised PN to remain committed to gaining voter support by reevaluating its strategies, creating stronger narratives and presenting candidates who were more capable and favoured by the electorate.
Ismail also said no one should be blamed for PN's loss, including PN information chief Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali or PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
He said while the result was disappointing for PN, it did not necessitate any resignations.
"Winning and losing is part of the game," he said, adding that BN's victory was anticipated due to its previous voter support and effective strategies.
The win, Ismail said strengthened BN's momentum in governing the state but did not indicate a weakening of PN's base.
He highlighted that this was just a by-election and would not significantly affect PN's broader support.
Ismail also noted the voter turnout was predictable and suggested that competing parties should have better mobilised voters to ensure a higher turnout.
"The voter turnout rate was also expected. Competing political parties should have used a mobilisation approach to ensure voters came out to vote," he said.
In any by-election, Ismail said voter fatigue was common, with many choosing not to participate as they may feel the outcome held little significance.
Earlier, BN retained the Mahkota state seat after its candidate Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah secured a resounding 20,648-vote majority win over his PN challenger in the by-election, today.
Syed Hussien who is also Kluang Umno youth chief and representing the unity government, garnered 27,995 votes, comfortably surpassing PN's Mohamad Haizan Jaafar, who received 7,347 votes.
The Mahkota by-election was held following the passing of the incumbent, Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain, 63, who died on Aug 2.
In the 2022 state election, Sharifah Azizah, representing BN, won with a majority of 5,166 votes in a four-way contest involving candidates from Pakatan Harapan (PH), PN and Warisan.
