Disappointment, political apathy behind PH supporters staying home – Loke

KLUANG – Political apathy and disappointment have been identified as among the factors that led some Pakatan Harapan (PH) supporters not to turn out to vote in the Melaka state election.

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said the situation posed a challenge for PH to rekindle supporters' enthusiasm and convince them that the coalition remained the best choice in the next election.

"Some of the voters who did not turn out are not those who never supported PH. They include fence-sitters who had previously backed the coalition.

"This is a challenge for us to restore their spirit," he said.

He was speaking at a press conference after the DAP Johor Annual Convention here on Sunday.

Also present was DAP deputy national chairman Teo Nie Ching.

Loke also said DAP managed to defend all four of its seats in the Melaka election despite facing a challenge when BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN) combined their strength through a vote-transfer strategy.

He said the success included holding the Ayer Keroh state seat, previously regarded as high risk for DAP because of its mixed voter composition.

He said DAP candidate Kerk Chee Yee's win with a 5,604-vote majority and 55 per cent of total votes proved the party could still draw support from Malay voters.

"Ayer Keroh has more than 40 per cent Malay voters and we received more than 20 per cent of the Malay vote, particularly from younger voters.

"This proves that if we work consistently, field credible candidates and have elected representatives who are always on the ground, it is not impossible to win Malay support even with a DAP candidate," he said.

Besides Ayer Keroh, DAP also defended the Kesidang, Kota Laksamana and Bandar Hilir state seats in the Melaka election.