‘PH unlikely to get sympathy votes’
Coalition would not do well if snap polls were to be held now: Analyst
PETALING JAYA: If Pakatan Harapan (PH) is hoping for sympathy votes from the attempted coup on Sunday, it will be disappointed.
Even if there is widespread condemnation for the bid to unseat the PH government, its remaining components PKR, DAP and Parti Amanah Nasional (Amanah) should not expect a shoo-in if snap polls were held now, according to political analyst Dr Oh Ei Sun.
Oh, who is a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, pointed out that about three-quarters of the Malay votes were already with Umno and PAS anyway, as seen in the 2018 general election.
“This pattern will continue,” he said.
“With Umno and PAS now aligned, they will win many seats, enough perhaps even for an outright majority in the Dewan Rakyat that will enable them to form the government.”
However, Oh said, a Malay majority government would be detrimental to the long term interests of the country.
“It will drive away the minorities who contribute to the economy,” he explained.
Nonetheless, he added, there is not very much the average Malaysian can do to change the landscape.
“Apart from exercising our right to vote, the political game is largely one for the elite.”
However, another political analyst, Prof Ahmad Atory Hussein, is less pessimistic about the fortunes of PH.
“The mobility of elected representatives is very fluid, so we cannot say if they will win or lose in a snap election.”
However, he said, it was certain that Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad would ensure that PH can win before he calls for snap polls.
He pointed out that previous prime ministers only called for snap elections when they were certain that they could win.
“Even Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak was confident of winning when he called for the elections in 2018.”
On the current political situation, he said the lines have been blurred because all party leaders on both sides of the aisle have said that they are behind Mahathir.