MalayMail-May 30
Political parties are set to again descend into racial and religious issues for six impending state elections, according to analysts who also saw the national unity government being vulnerable as a result in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. While Malaysians were still coming to grips with inflation and the economy still on the mend from the pandemic, the analysts said race and religion would remain the platform of choice for politicians due to their effectiveness when seeking to influence voters.
Professor of Asian Studies from University of Tasmania, James Chin, said polls in Malaysia have been driven by racial and religious sentiments since the 1960s, especially in Peninsular Malaysia, and will not change even with the county in uncharted political waters now.
“If we look at all the elections in Malaysia, racial and religious sentiments can override everything else while all the other issues such as cost of living, will always be there,” he said. Senior Fellow of Singapore Institute of International Affairs Oh Ei Sun said this was also being magnified by the current wave of Islamic revivalism globally, which meant religious concerns was at the forefront of Malay voters. Read more at:
