ALOR SETAR, July 16 — Young voters, especially first-timers, in the Kedah state election are likely to vote for easily approachable leaders, and this could well determine the voting pattern of this group.
Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Politics and International Relations senior lecturer Professor Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said initiatives introduced by the government that the youth can relate to could also influence their decision.
“The young voters are, overall, still divided. In the last general election, the tendency was to support PN (Perikatan Nasional), but these young voters do not have a fixed perspective. They look at their peers, they look at their families and at the ruling government… they have seen the PN ruling at the federal level.
“This time (in the state polls), they see the Unity Government at the federal level. So, they could potentially lean towards supporting the ruling government. With the Unity Government trying to draw closer to them, these young voters might see the benefit of throwing their support behind the Unity Government,” he said when contacted by Bernama recently.
According to statistics released by the Election Commission (EC), a total of 1,585,085 registered voters are expected to cast their ballots in the Kedah state polls, of which 104,284 voters are aged between 18 and 20.
Selangor, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu and Negeri Sembilan will go to the polls on Aug 12, with nominations set for July 29 and early voting on Aug 8.
The Kedah branch of the Federation of Peninsular Malay Students (GPMS) chairman, Ahmad Qusyairi Ahmad Zaini said that, based on his observation, young voters tended to rely on social media as their main source of information.
“The social media platforms and their parents play the role of ‘check and balance’ as they decide on who to vote for. Here, every party contesting the state elections must offer something that can pique their interest.
“The main issues are the cost of living and job opportunities. One example is the cost of meeting learning requirements at university, some subjects require quite high expenditure,” he said.
Meanwhile, first-time young voters in Kedah, when met by Bernama, reacted positively to several initiatives introduced by the Unity Government.
Sixth Former Syazwani Faisol, 19, said she would lean more towards leaders who served the people, adding that the current government was making concerted efforts to reach out to the youth through several good initiatives for the welfare of this group.
“I learn about political issues through postings on social media and the debates in the Dewan Rakyat session in Parliament. I am looking forward to voting for the first time,” she said.
Syazwani cited the eBelia Rahmah (worth RM200) and Menu Rahmah (worth RM5) as initiatives that benefited students.
As for 19-year-old matriculation student Nurul Zulkifli, she would vote for a leader who is credible, responsible and trustworthy.
“I follow political issues in Malaysia. I have my own opinions on political issues that I think are reasonable and relevant.
“I have been exposed to elections since primary school… our vote is a collective responsibility to shape the nation,” she said.
