Ibrahim Ali: Malay fence sitters will vote PPBM

(MMO) – Malay fence sitters will vote for Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) in the next general election, Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali predicted today.

The new all-Bumputera party chaired by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and presided by former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has increased competition for swing votes among the race-based political parties.

“Fence sitters who are not members of any party will be the determining factor.

‘The protest votes that are not tied with any party will go to Bersatu,” Ibrahim told a news conference before his Malay rights group’s meeting here.

The former Pasir Mas MP who has been a member of Umno and PAS before turning independent said the two Malay parties did not have to worry about losing their hardcore voters despite controversial issues that have emerged in recent years, such as the Goods and Services Tax and the 1Malaysia Development Berhad financial saga.

But Ibrahim said PAS will lose the little Chinese support it had gained in the last two elections, as well as Malays who are anti-Umno and anti-Barisan Nasional (BN).

Despite the challenges, Ibrahim said Perkasa will proceed with its intention to field 50 independent candidates in the 14th general elections due by 2018.

Ibrahim previously expressed his desire to contest in Kelantan as an independent candidate, despite advice from one-time patron Dr Mahathir for him to refrain from running.