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SpotLight: Poll: Malaysians want one BN multiracial party
08-Feb-2008, New Straits Times
By : Lee Siew Lian
 MALAYSIANS want to see a single multiracial party emerge from the Barisan Nasional, reflecting a maturing political consciousness and desire for reform.
A substantial number of Malays no longer believe voting across ethnic lines is a betrayal of their race, according to the Merdeka Center's latest survey.
Overall, two in three voters surveyed, including a majority of Malays, believe the BN component parties should merge.
Roughly one in two Malays no longer believe voting for the Chinese-dominated DAP is a betrayal of their race, according to the survey of more than 1,000 voters in Peninsular Malaysia.
"For 40 years, the BN represented the best set of compromises possible in a multiracial society. It now has a chance to reinvent itself," said Merdeka Center executive director Ibrahim Suffian.
Last month, the BN was returned to power but lost its two-thirds majority in parliament and was ousted from power in five states.
Among the respondents, 27 per cent voted for BN, and 14 per cent for the three Pakatan Rakyat parties of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, DAP and Pas. Forty-nine per cent declined to reveal their choices.
The survey findings suggest that the BN push factor for voters was bigger than the pull factor represented by the opposition and de facto PKR chief, former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Almost half said BN lost ground because voters were dissatisfied with its performance. Five per cent said it was a stronger opposition, while four per cent said it was the Anwar factor.
Still, Anwar was an influential factor in the final days of campaigning, especially after the Election Commission back-pedalled on the use of indelible ink, said Ibrahim.
From this and earlier surveys, he estimates the Chinese popular vote for BN fell eight points to an estimated 55 per cent from 63 per cent. Indian support almost halved to 36 per cent from about 70 per cent before.
Malay support for BN fell 14 percentage points to 52 per cent. Significantly, young Malays were about half of those who voted for Pakatan Rakyat parties.
Since a substantial number of Malays are prepared to vote across ethnic lines, Umno needs to consider how to win back Malay support without using the race card.
"The key lesson is Umno should not hesitate to reform. It is clear what the electorate wants, but that may be at odds with what Umno wants."
Ibrahim said there was among Malay respondents a broad sense of anger at the system. Especially strong among younger Malays, it reflects the perception that corruption within the system has denied them opportunities.
One striking finding in the survey: voters were themselves surprised by the swing in election results, but remained satisfied with the outcome.
More than two in three respondents said the results were unexpected, but only one in 10 expressed dissatisfaction.
Voters also overwhelmingly expect the BN federal government to work smoothly with the five Pakatan Rakyat state governments.
Only one in 20 said the BN-led federal government should "punish" these states, the bulk of these responses coming from Malays. Any such move, however, was likely to backfire on the BN, Ibrahim said.
Increasingly sophisticated and armed with the Pakatan Rakyat as an alternative, voters would probably punish the BN at the next general election for any perceived attempt at reprisal, he said. "They have a new-found sense of differentiation. They understand what the roles are of the federal and state governments."
Reps need to get on with work
AFTER delivering the most stunning electoral upset since the 1969 elections, voters might have been expected to sit back and enjoy the ensuing upheaval.
They are not: all they want is for politicians to deliver what they promised on bread-and-butter issues.
Post-general election 2008, they have kept their focus on prices, inflation and the economy, according to the Merdeka Center's latest poll.
"After the initial euphoria, people moved on. They aren't dwelling on the politics," said its executive director, Ibrahim Suffian.
That suggested that elected representatives needed to get on with the business of governing and not be distracted by party machinations, he said.
The top issues before the elections on March 8, prices, inflation and the economy are still the main worry for one in two voters, according to the post-election poll of voters in Peninsular Malaysia. Crime and racial equality are a distant second and third, each cited by roughly one in 10 voters.
Politics has been relegated to a sideshow, with four per cent concerned about the quality of national leaders and three per cent instability in politics and parties, the survey found.
The survey of more than 1,000 registered voters was conducted between March 14 and 21.
Ninety-three per cent said they voted on March 8. (Official figures have yet to be released, with overall voter turnout estimated at 77 per cent.)
While politics is likely to be a huge distraction for those in government, the efficient delivery of public services will be more important than ever.
Better public transport was a key short-term measure that could pay off, Ibrahim said.
Higher bus frequencies at peak hours and additional routes in major city networks would help ease concern over the prospect of hikes in fuel costs. |
