Urban voting trend difficult to knock
“WINNING Selangor is BN’s priority” (Off the Cuff, Aug 18) poses the question of the government coalition’s chances of retaking Selangor in the next general election. Unfortunately for the government they must fight against a trend that is not just affecting Malaysia but also the broader international community.
Selangor is home to many of Malaysia’s wealthiest, most educated and urbane citizens. It is not uncommon to hear them complain about restrictive law enforcement, the economy, corruption and the spectre of hudud law. They aspire to developed-world status for Malaysia and favourable comparison with the wealthy OECD countries that appear to function so efficiently.
By contrast priorities outside urban areas such as KL and Selangor are usually different. Yes, people are concerned about the economy, but also about their own community and well being; International comparisons and rule of law are less relevant. And they have more trust and faith in the BN government.
In nearby Thailand, Bangkok residents are highly concerned about corruption and economic development, but the popular Shinawatra families that won the last four elections by appealing to the rural poor were never able to appeal to these elites. In fact, they suffered from crippling civil strife at the hands of Bangkok-based “yellow shirts” that effectively ousted all of their governments.
And despite Donald Trump’s emphatic victory in the presidential election by appealing to and capturing America’s heartland, he won only 7% of the vote in his home city of New York, another big city centre that presents itself as sophisticated and worldly, and welcoming to immigrants and outsiders.
Similarly, leafy Melbourne, recently again voted the world’s most liveable city, with its leftliberal approach that generously supports the arts, minorities including refugees, and human rights, is sometimes out of step with the rest of Australia. Since 2010 the heretofore safe federal Labor seat of Melbourne has been held by a very liberal Greens representative, despite the rest of the country voting more conservatively.
So although the government faces an uphill battle in Malaysia’s economic and industrial hub, it could still win the next election even without taking “the jewel” of Selangor.
Simon Wood Petaling Jaya