Cost of living, jobs among key issues on minds of voters at the ballot box
MELAKA: Jobs, higher wages, affordable homes and relief from the rising cost of living will be on the minds of voters as they head to the ballot box today.
After 14 days of campaigning, the contest comes down to whether candidates have convinced voters that they can improve livelihoods, resolve long-standing issues and create career opportunities in the state.
Outstation voters could prove crucial in determining the outcomes in several constituencies such as Kelebang, Paya Rumput, Machap Jaya, Pengkalan Batu, Bandar Hilir, Kota Laksamana, Ayer Keroh, Gadek, Rembia and Bukit Katil.
In these hot seats, turnout and divided support in multi-cornered contests could tip the balance, making the distribution of returning outstation voters more consequential than the statewide turnout figure alone.
Crowds at the Melaka Sentral bus terminal swelled yesterday as voters returned home.
There are 687,697 registered voters who are eligible to cast their ballots across Melaka’s 28 state constituencies.
Voters aged below 30 account for 176,825 people, or 25.71% of the electorate.
The past fortnight has also tested political loyalties.
The Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional pact faces a test of grassroots acceptance, whereas Pakatan Harapan and other challengers must turn their criticisms of the state administration into ballot-box support.
Barisan is contesting 23 seats, while its election ally Perikatan is contesting five seats and Pakatan Harapan is contesting 24 seats.
Parti Bersama Malaysia is fielding 16 candidates, Bersatu (seven) and Putra (one), while three candidates are contesting as independents.
Barisan, Pakatan and Bersatu are locked in direct clashes in Kelebang, Ayer Keroh and Pengkalan Batu.
The results in these three areas will be closely watched as they are among six seats seeing four-cornered battles.
They are also the seats where Pakatan and Bersatu are clashing against each other despite an informal electoral pact.
For Barisan and Perikatan, their zero-overlap agreement in Melaka mirrors their successful seat-sharing pact in Negri Sembilan in August, which followed a partial stand-down in Johor a month earlier.
For voters, the choice brings together candidates’ service records, concerns about governance and the credibility of promises affecting their daily lives.
Last Tuesday, 9,417 of the 9,917 eligible voters, comprising army and police personnel, as well as their spouses, cast their ballots as early voters.
This represented a 94.96% turnout rate, slightly below the EC’s 95% target.
Universiti Sains Malaysia political analyst Prof Datuk Dr Sivamurugan Pandian expects turnout to be slightly below or comparable to the 65.85% recorded in 2021.
“However, turnout alone does not guarantee a swing. What matters is which coalition can convert additional voters into actual support.
“Barisan remains structurally advantaged, but the real test is whether its partnership with Perikatan can translate into genuine vote transfers,” he said.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia political analyst Assoc Prof Dr Mazlan Ali expects turnout of 65% to 70%, saying state elections typically did not draw as many voters as general elections.
He said issues such as the Tabung Haji controversy, the littoral combat ship project and matters surrounding Datuk Seri Najib Razak had gained traction in recent days.
“Matters concerning political donations and Najib’s house arrest have drawn the attention of fence-sitters,” he added.
Universiti Malaya socio-political analyst Prof Datuk Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said the Melaka electorate has expanded from around 495,000 voters in 2021 to 687,697 registered voters this year due to automatic voter registration.
“Young voters therefore have a much greater influence in marginal constituencies,” he said.
