Latest news with #IlhamCentre
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Malays want political stability, not just racial sentiment, says analyst
Hisomuddin Bakar said the new alliance is a reaction to the perceived lack of Malay-majority support for the current government. PETALING JAYA : Unity based solely on Malay sentiment is no longer the single determining factor in garnering Malay political support, says political analyst Hisomuddin Bakar. He said Malays also look at governance, including effective management of the economy, administrative integrity and policies that have a direct impact on people's daily lives. Hisomuddin Bakar. 'It's more about everyday realities than nationalist rhetoric. Political stability has become a priority,' said Hisomuddin, who is executive director of Ilham Centre. 'Voters are feeling the fatigue created by internal party conflicts, party-hopping and frequent changes in government,' he told FMT. Hisomuddin said voters wanted a stable administration, consistent policy direction, the ability to maintain investor confidence and a promise of long-term prosperity. He said political parties today are evaluated not only based on their historical struggles or ethnicity, but also on how convincingly they can realistically offer a progressive and inclusive future. His comments come after the recent launch of a new Malay unity alliance by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, created as a loose coalition to gather fractured Malay political forces under one 'big umbrella'. Hisomuddin said the alliance is a reaction to the landscape after the 15th general election, with the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional government seen as lacking the majority of Malay support. 'In GE15, Perikatan Nasional emerged as the most dominant bloc among Malay voters, despite multi-cornered fights with Malay parties like Pejuang,' he noted. Hisomuddin said the alliance could hypothetically improve the Malay vote count beyond PN's performance in GE15 – nearly 70% of Malay votes – but only if it successfully unites all the splinter groups. More to prove than just unity However, Hisomuddin said recent by-elections point to a different reality, with BN winning comfortably in Nenggiri, Mahkota and Ayer Kuning due to votes from PH supporters, including non-Malays. 'Even though Umno has not fully recovered its influence among Malay voters, its strategic cooperation with PH is keeping it alive, winning seats through combined vote mobilisation,' he said. Hisomuddin said the Malay alliance has more to prove than just its ability to unite, and faces a much bigger challenge than simply gathering fragmented Malay entities. Syaza Shukri. 'It must demonstrate that it is able to disrupt the current voter support patterns created by the PH-BN alliance,' he said. Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) said the alliance lacks clear goals and has yet to truly explain its purpose. 'I don't know if they will be effective, because I don't know how or what to measure. What are they planning to do? What do they want to change?' she said to FMT. Azmi Hassan. Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara also said the alliance is unlikely to pick up steam because unlike during the earlier Pakatan Harapan government, no driving issues are currently pushing Malay-based parties together. 'At that time, the Rome Statute was the main factor. But not right now. There is no issue. Umno is quite comfortable in the government,' he told FMT.
Focus Malaysia
3 days ago
- Politics
- Focus Malaysia
PAS prepares for leadership change as Hadi signals exit
PAS leader Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang's hint at retiring as president has sparked big questions about his successor. Ilham Centre CEO Hisommudin Bakar is of the view that a potential exit of Hadi from the Islamic party will be a major turning point in PAS's modern history, according to Sinar Harian. Meanwhile, it appears that the ulama faction is pushing for a smooth, stable power transition. Remarks from PAS' Mokhtar Senik and Datuk Mohd Amar Abdullah suggest PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man as the next president, avoiding upheaval. This will also avoid non-ulama candidates like Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar gaining an upper hand in the party. The Ilham Centre sees this as a move to ease grassroots acceptance, possibly positioning Hadi as PAS Mursyidul Am, following the late Tan Sri Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. The choice of successor in PAS will also depend on delegates but indications are that the ulama camp favours Tuan Ibrahim as party leader and Mohd Amar could rise to deputy president. In April, Mohd Amar said that there is no internal conflict or tension among the party's leadership, despite ongoing speculation, including about his nomination at this year's PAS Muktamar (general assembly). He said the matter of candidacy is the party's prerogative, and he is not concerned if he is not nominated in the upcoming party election. Analysts however said the hints from Hadi are a warning for the party grassroots to prepare for change, as they are learning from PKR's divisive elections. Hadi has reportedly signalled his intention to step down from his position due to health concerns. The Marang MP is said to have conveyed this to the party's top leadership during a retreat in Terengganu last weekend. Sources said the disclosure has triggered internal discussions within the party's ulama (religious scholars) faction, which is now actively encouraging Tuan Ibrahim to assume the leadership role. — June 7, 2025
Free Malaysia Today
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
‘UMDAP Mantap' branding may have backfired among Ayer Kuning voters, says think tank
Ilham Centre said the alliance between Umno and DAP – once bitter rivals – remains a sensitive issue among Malay voters in Ayer Kuning. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : An attempt by DAP deputy chairman Nga Kor Ming to normalise a label used to highlight his party's alliance with Umno may have backfired, a think tank said. Ilham Centre said based on its survey, the 'UMDAP Mantap' label that had been bandied about had a more negative impact. 'It would have been more strategic if it was handled by the Barisan Nasional machinery,' the centre said in a report today. Ilham Centre also said the alliance between Umno and DAP – once bitter rivals – remained a sensitive issue among Malay voters. It said it found it interesting that BN took the unusual step of not responding to the opposition's attempts to vilify the Umno-DAP alliance, 'while Amanah was tasked to respond to attacks by Perikatan Nasional'. Separately, the think tank said PN had racialised local issues, such as the pollution caused by pig farms, to woo Malay voters. 'While such narratives are risky, it seemed to have been effective with the context of the local demography,' it said. Malays make up 55.97% of the 31,940 voters in Ayer Kuning. The by-election tomorrow will see a three cornered fight among BN's Yusri Bakir of Umno, PN's Abd Muhaimin Malek of PAS, and Parti Socialis Malaysia's KS Bawani. It follows the death on Feb 22 of Umno assemblyman Ishsam Shahruddin, who had won the seat in the last general election with a 2,213-vote majority in a five-cornered contest.
Free Malaysia Today
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
BN to retain Ayer Kuning, says think tank, but 18,000-vote target doubtful
BN candidate Yusri Bakir meeting Ayer Kuning residents during the campaign trail. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Barisan Nasional will not have any problem retaining the Ayer Kuning state seat in the by-election tomorrow, a study by a think tank has found, although its 18,000-vote target may be difficult to achieve. In describing Saturday's by-election as a litmus test on several matters, Ilham Centre said the polls will gauge the effectiveness of the alliance between BN and Pakatan Harapan – allies in the unity government – especially in terms of securing a huge number of votes. 'However, a majority of the respondents surveyed felt that it would be difficult to achieve the target,' the centre said in its report today. There are 31,940 eligible voters in Ayer Kuning, comprising 55.97% Malay, 22.9% Chinese, 14.38% Indian and 7.5% Orang Asli voters. Ilham Centre said the main focus for the opposition is retaining the momentum in terms of winning the Malay votes, especially the youth, who had backed PN in the last general election. 'If PN manages to retain the same number of votes garnered, it will be considered a massive achievement,' it said. In the last general election, PN secured four Malay-majority polling districts in Ayer Kuning. The by-election tomorrow will, therefore, be an important battleground to determine if PN is able to defend its performance or whether these votes will return to BN's fold, it said. More subtle approach to woo voters Ilham Centre observed that the political parties in the Ayer Kuning campaign trail had adopted a more subtle approach to woo voters in the two-week campaign, doing away with mega ceramahs and engaging directly with the constituents instead. It also observed that the candidates had set aside time to conduct live streams to engage with the youth and urbanites. It said PN was more aggressive and proactive, while BN and PH were more defensive. Parti Sosialis Malaysia, on the other hand, was more consistent in its approach, in terms of using digital platforms to highlight issues related to labour and social welfare. The by-election tomorrow will see a three cornered fight among BN's Yusri Bakir of Umno, PN's Abd Muhaimin Malek of PAS, and PSM's KS Bawani. It follows the death on Feb 22 of Umno assemblyman Ishsam Shahruddin, who had won the seat in the last general election with a 2,213-vote majority in a five-cornered contest.
