Over half of Selangor voters would give Pakatan second chance, survey shows
(The Malay Mail) – Pakatan Rakyat’s self-inflicted Selangor mentri besar crisis has not alienated its core support in the state, with a new Merdeka Center survey showing that 57 per cent of voters would back the pact in a snap election.
But the crisis has shaken Selangor voters’ faith in where the state is headed under the pact, with just 46 per cent of respondents now saying it was going the right way, a slide from 64 per cent in March.
“A survey among voters across Selangor found that a majority of voters continue to support Pakatan Rakyat despite the protracted leadership crisis gripping the state’s mentri besar position,” the independent pollster said in a statement accompanying the survey.
The survey also found PR’s nominee, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, getting the nod of a quarter of respondents, more than PAS’s pick Azmin Ali and any other “generic candidate” from Umno and the Islamist party.
Merdeka Center said its poll indicated that while the political developments in Selangor have cooled voter support for the federal opposition pact, anti-Barisan Nasional (BN) sentiment still ran high in the country’s most developed state.
“This means that Barisan Nasional will still face an uphill struggle despite Pakatan having suffered a loss of confidence and prestige among Selangor voters should an election be called at the current point in time,” said the pollster.
Merdeka Center’s poll showed “markedly lower” confidence in PR in running Selangor, with 43 per cent of voters expressing confidence in PR, while support for BN remained the same at 29 per cent.
Out of the 39 per cent who said Selangor was headed in the wrong direction, the crisis over Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s position as MB was deemed the top reason.
The main reason cited by those who favoured the direction Selangor was heading was good state administration.
The top issues that concerned Selangor voters were the state’s water supply and the MB crisis, with 21 and 20 per cent citing those issues respectively.
Merdeka Center’s survey was conducted via telephone interviews with 808 voters in Selangor from August 11 to 17.
Khalid is said to be weighing a dissolution of the state assembly to resolve the protracted crisis over the mentri besar’s post.
PR last week insisted Khalid has lost the confidence of the majority of the state’s lawmakers after the representatives of PKR, PAS, and DAP banded together to support his removal.
Khalid has requested an audience with the Selangor Sultan to discuss his position. The state ruler is due back in Malaysia tomorrow following an overseas trip.
