PETALING JAYA: The cost of living is a key issue for first-time voters in Negri Sembilan, a study by think-tank Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (Insap) shows.
The MCA think-tank survey found that young voters placed more weightage on jobs and economic opportunities than older voters.
“Cost of living ranked first in every constituency we surveyed and in every segment within them, across every community, genders, age groups and every income band. Public infrastructure follows on most lists, with jobs and neighbourhood safety close behind.
“Like everyone else, young voters prioritised cost of living issues, but they weighed job opportunities more heavily than older voters. In some constituencies, jobs sit in the top three concerns for voters below 40,” she said.
Her field teams were often told about young people leaving for greener pastures in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
“They are asking one of the oldest questions in politics, ‘what have you done, and what will you do next?’ A credible track record and a well-formed plan will win them.
“Young voters treat a candidate the way an employer treats an applicant: show your track record, show the plan and expect a performance review at the end of the term,” she added.
These young voters are looking at track record and delivery more than emotions or sentiments, she said, adding that any party that banked on inherited loyalty would be disappointed.
She pointed out that a first-time voter in Negri today would have been in primary school in 2018.
“Their formative political memory is of instability: three prime ministers in four years, a pandemic and the cost-of-living squeeze that followed. They arrive at the ballot box carrying nobody’s old loyalties,” said Yong.
In some constituencies, she said as many as one in three respondents had yet to make up their minds.
This, she said, was an audience waiting to be convinced.
Although Negri Sembilan was under the Federal Government’s ruling coalition Pakatan Harapan, she said what separated states is the capability and delivery of the state administration itself.
