KUCHING: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) should not be comfortable with its current position and strength in facing the 15th general election, said a political analyst.
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Leadership and Development of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) Professor Datuk Mohd Fadzil Abdul Rahman said based on the current situation, GPS was seen to have a very strong influence and a very good chance to win many seats in the 15th general election (GE15).
However, he cautioned GPS that the party leadership would need to look at the sentiments of the voters especially among 18-year-olds voters (Undi18) who may have some impact on the results of the GE15 as they are still new and have the potential to change their influence or support for any political parties,” he said.
According to Mohd Fadzil, such an attitude of voters will definitely give some challenges, including to GPS, although GPS has already taken steps to create an awareness or initiative to provide early exposure to voters aged 18 to 28 years.
However, he said voters in this category of age group are quite easily influenced when they get information because they do not think much in depth, thus can influence their decision when casting their votes.
He added, at the same time the previous voting trend should also be taken into account when voters tend to choose local parties to form the state government, but voted the opposition party candidate to represent them in Parliament.
“There are voters who think that giving victory to the opposition party to represent them in Parliament will balance the interests of a region or state, apart from doing check and balance in the administration of the country.
“Such sentiments are quite difficult to interpret directly because for the first time GPS will also contest using the name and the GPS symbol in the general election,” he said.
For this reason, he said the voting trend in the upcoming GE15 would be quite difficult to predict.
“Whatever the current sentiments are, GPS will win but to say that it can win all the parliamentary seats in Sarawak is quite subjective,” he added.
According to Mohd Radzil, GPS should convince voters with the success of all its development plans and initiatives.
Mohd Fadzil, however, thought it would be good if voters in Sarawak give their support to GPS at the state and parliamentary (federal) levels to ensure continuity of the task and the planning at all levels.
