85 per cent of voters have chosen candidates for state polls

SHAH ALAM - A week before the polling day on Aug 12, a survey by Sinar found that 85 per cent of voters in six states involved in the state elections have already chosen their candidates.

The survey, which was conducted through face-to-face interviews, also found that 12.5 per cent of voters have yet to make a decision, while another 2.5 per cent are still uncertain about their choice.

The survey also found that the main source of information for voters is mass media and the internet, with 62.5 per cent of respondents saying that they rely on these sources for political and election-related information.

Political rallies were the second most popular source of information, with 16.25 per cent of respondents saying that they get their information from these events.

Other sources of information included acquaintances (11.25 per cent) and family (10 per cent).

The survey also found that there is a significant number of fence-sitters in the upcoming state elections.

Meanwhile, an early study by the Ilham Centre found that around 14 to 16 per cent of voters in the six states involved in the state elections have yet to decide which political party coalition to choose.

Its Executive Director, Hisommudin Bakar, said this group is divided into several categories, including voters of the Barisan Nasional and supporters of the Perikatan Nasional who are affected by candidate-related issues.

"Most of them are aged 40 and above. They can be considered more politically engaged as they constantly follow the current developments of candidates in their contested areas.

"However, this time, the younger generation is not largely included in this group as they already have their own preferences," he said in an interview with Sinar yesterday.

In a related matter, Malaysia Political Researcher from NUSA Research Centre, Arif Anwar Lokmanol Hakim, found that about 20 per cent or approximately 1.96 million out of 9.83 million voters are fence-sitters.

"The fence-sitters involve three categories, namely Barisan Nasional voters, especially in areas where the party is not contesting.

"While the second group consists of voters in areas where there are candidates with a 'wow factor,' especially young people aged 18 to 25," he said.

He believed this is because social media publicity is quite balanced among Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional.

"Young people tend to rely more on social media, and their decisions may be based on assessments from there. Some may not know the candidates and may change their minds on the day of voting," he explained.