Power still hangs in the balance, poll shows
Some 45 per cent of those polled said they trusted BN to govern country, compared with 21 per cent for PR. But up for grabs are the 28 per cent who said they did not trust either party.
The Malaysian Insider
If general elections were held today, Barisan Nasional (BN) can expect a real run for their money from Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in Peninsular Malaysia, with the ruling coalition’s victory almost entirely dependent on non-partisan Chinese and Indians, a new survey shows.
The poll also confirms that while BN has steady support among the Malay electorate, the Chinese vote bank and to a lesser extent the Indian support is with the opposition.
With more than 100 mixed parliamentary constituencies in West Malaysia, any political party with ambitions of snaring the lion’s share of seats must be able to appeal to Malays and non-Malays alike.
These findings should serve as a wake-up call to Umno, which has in the past few months sought to win the Malay vote at all cost, resulting in the perception that it has become more right-wing and antagonistic towards minorities.
The survey shows that while BN scored higher than PR in all the categories, a sizeable number of undecided voters show an inclination towards the Opposition. They are mostly non-Malays and live in urban areas.
Some 1,000 registered voters were polled by Vox Malaysia in mid-August (after the death of Teoh Beng Hock but before the cow-head demonstration against the relocation of a Hindu temple in Shah Alam).
The respondents were asked questions to gauge the public perception of the opposition today — more than 17 months after it wrested control of five states and prevented BN from obtaining its customary two-thirds majority in Parliament.
When answers to the questions were analysed, it showed that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his comrades have their work cut out between now and the next general elections, scheduled for 2013.
They may occupy the seat of power and may have the track record of ruling the country for 52 years but clearly there is growing ambivalence about the coalition.
Some 45 per cent of those polled said they trusted BN to govern country, compared with 21 per cent for PR. But up for grabs are the 28 per cent who said they did not trust either party.
In the last general election and in by-elections within Peninsular Malaysia since March 8 2008, a significant proportion of voters in this undecided/jaded category gave their votes to the opposition.
