Heavy rain, boycott by non-Malay voters blamed for low turnout
MOHD FAIZUL HAIKA MAT KHAZI
SHAH ALAM - The low voter turnout in the Pulai Parliament and Simpang Jeram by-election was due to heavy rain and boycott by non-Malay voters, said analysts.
The official voter turnout percentage for Pulai was 46.8 per cent while Simpang Jeram had 60.20 per cent.
The total did not reach the target set by the Election Commission (EC) which was at 70 per cent.
Ilham Centre Executive Director Hisomuddin Bakar said many parties predicted that Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Suhaizan Kaiat may fail again in his seventh attempt at becoming a representative based on the low voter turnout.
Hisomuddin said Suhaizan, who is the Johor Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) deputy chairman, could win easily in Pulai if the voter turnout reached more than 65 per cent.
"What gave a challenge for PH defending the Pulai Parliamentary seat was the candidate chosen was not a well-known figure as well as loyal supporters were in the comfort zone that they could win easily in the state," he told Sinar Premium.
Political analyst from Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) Associate Professor Dr Khairol Anuar Kamri viewed the voter turnout percentage was low due to a majority of voters working in Klang Valley and the neighbouring country Singapore were boycotting the elections.
He said a majority of PH voters were allegedly boycotting the Pulai and Simpang Jeram by-elections as a protest towards the court's decision to give a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi without a proper explanation.
"Non-Malay voters are sensitive towards the corruption and integrity issues.
"Their boycott for the Pulai and Simpang Jeram might spell a signal for PH to rectify the issue," he said.
The by-election results announced on Saturday saw Suhaizan winning the Pulai parliamentary seat with a majority of 1,489 votes, while Nazri Abdul Rahman from PH won the Simpang Jeram state seat with a majority of 1,019 votes.
