PETALING JAYA: Parties in the Melaka polls must use the final hours before campaigning ends tonight to get their own supporters out to vote, and not only to win over fence-sitters, say analysts.
Most of them named Bukit Katil, Paya Rumput and Sungai Udang as seats to watch tomorrow, with Paya Rumput seen as a test of whether Umno supporters will vote for PAS.
Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional held a joint grand finale ceramah in Paya Rumput on Wednesday night, and Pakatan Harapan chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim spoke at ceramahs in Bukit Baru and Alor Gajah last night.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia political analyst Assoc Prof Dr Mazlan Ali said with the little time left, political parties should go to specific target segments.
“Pakatan should concentrate on Malay voters to boost its support, while Barisan needs to target non-Malay voters,” he said.
The hotly contested seats, according to him, are mixed and marginal ones such as Gadek, Pengkalan Batu, Bukit Katil, Paya Rumput, Sungai Udang and Asahan.
Mazlan noted that Barisan had a strong political base in Melaka.
“The coalition has a substantial core of loyal voters and robust election machinery capable of mobilising at least 80% of them to the polls,” he said.
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Prof Dr Azmi Hassan said the last 24 hours mattered more than the early days of the campaign because they would stick in voters’ minds.
“It is the time to convince the unconvinced as well as the convinced, to support their party,” he said.
Azmi said Tanjung Bidara and Bukit Katil, where Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh and Pakatan’s Datuk Seri Adly Zahari are contesting, would set the direction for the other 26 seats.
Universiti Malaya socio-political analyst Prof Datuk Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said the priority for Barisan and Perikatan was to turn their electoral cooperation into grassroots mobilisation.
“The challenge is ensuring that Umno supporters are willing to vote for PAS candidates and that PAS supporters reciprocate where Barisan candidates are contesting,” he said.
Pakatan should defend its existing seats and mobilise younger and urban voters, he added, while Bersatu and Bersama must show they were credible alternatives and not simply fragmenting opposition votes.
“Bukit Katil is particularly interesting because Adly Zahari faces a more consolidated Barisan-Perikatan challenge.
“Paya Rumput will test whether Umno supporters can transfer their votes to PAS, while Ayer Keroh and Machap Jaya are important tests of Pakatan’s resilience,” he said.
Universiti Sains Malaysia political analyst Prof Datuk Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said Barisan had to consolidate Malay support and address any dissatisfaction over seat allocation, while Pakatan need to mobilise Chinese and younger voters, and convince its supporters that their votes still mattered.
Perikatan, in his view, had to demonstrate that its cooperation with Barisan was genuine.
“This election is not simply about winning seats; it is about testing the credibility of political cooperation ahead of the 16th General Election,” he said.
Campaigning ends at 11.59pm tonight, with polling for all 28 seats tomorrow.
