JOHOR BAHRU – While a candidate's age may influence voter preferences in the Johor state election, many voters believe integrity, credibility, experience and the ability to serve the people remain the most important factors when deciding who deserves their vote.
Factory worker Muhammad Alif Omar, 32, who votes in the Johor Jaya state constituency said experienced and well-known senior candidates naturally enjoy certain advantages because of their influence and understanding of local issues.
However, he believes that political parties should also consider whether older candidates are still physically capable of actively serving the community.
"Experience enables a candidate to better understand local issues and to deliver development as well as find solutions to the people's problems if elected as their representative.
"However, political parties also need to reassess the suitability of the ages of the candidates they put forward.
"Parties need to become more relevant by paying greater attention to issues that matter to young people, particularly the rising cost of living in Johor," he said.
Private sector employee Rohayah Suradi, 30, who votes in the Penawar state constituency, echoed similar sentiments, saying age is only one consideration among many.
She said while some voters value the maturity and long service records of older candidates, many younger voters place greater importance on fresh ideas, communication skills and a candidate's ability to understand current issues.
"However, many people, especially younger voters, focus on a candidate's capabilities, fresh ideas, ability to understand current issues and the way they communicate with the public.
"For me, the more important factors are credibility, performance, leadership record, concern for the people's problems and the ability to bring about change. Age is not the main factor,” she highlighted.
Homemaker Nurhidayatul Nazaroh Norazmi, 34, said political parties should assess the health and physical fitness of candidates, especially older ones, given that elected representatives are expected to remain active within their constituencies.
She believes reassessing candidates' ages could strike a balance between the experience of veteran politicians and the energy of younger leaders.
"The proposal for political parties to reassess the ages of their candidates is a good step because it can create a balance between the experience of veteran leaders and fresh energy.
"This approach will also allow parties to adapt to an increasingly dynamic voter demographic, prevent political stagnation and bring fresher ideas for the benefit of the people,” she said.
Meanwhile, private sector employee Fitri Ibrahim, 38, said a candidate's ability to serve constituents should take precedence over age.
"What matters is whether the candidate is capable of working for the voters. Besides that, locality is also important because local candidates know the area better and are more accessible to the community,” he said.
Another voter, Aisamuddin Ishak, 36, agreed that age alone does not determine a candidate's effectiveness.
"What matters more is the candidate's ability to serve the people and solve their problems.
"There are certainly young voters who want younger candidates, but ultimately a candidate's ideas and work on the ground remain the main considerations,” he said.
The views reflect a growing sentiment among voters that leadership qualities and performance outweigh age when choosing representatives for the Johor state election.