An analyst says it is unwise of politicians to get into heated quarrels with the royal families because it may cost them votes.
PETALING JAYA: The spat between Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and Umno information chief Annuar Musa, should it escalate, could have an impact on voting patterns, says a political analyst.
Faisal S Hazis of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia was commenting on Tunku Ismail’s post on the Southern Tigers Facebook page after Annuar alleged that Johor was destroying Malaysian football by overpaying its players.
Tunku Ismail, who is the owner of the Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) team , shot back with: “The state of Johor is the stronghold of the ruling party today. The day for people to cast their votes is edging closer; so don’t stir up a hornet’s nest because there will be consequences. Tan Sri, don’t be a liability to your own party.”
Faisal noted that since the 2008 general election, it had become increasingly difficult for Umno to bank on its traditional voter base, even in Barisan Nasional strongholds such as Johor.
“Even the Malays have become fragmented,” he said.
He told Umno to keep in mind that the royal families did have an influence over voters. An argument between politicians and the nobility could therefore cause further changes in voting patterns, he added.
“In Terengganu, for example, another conflict was almost created when the sultan voiced his opinion on the choice of the menteri besar,” he said.
He said he was sure Umno would see the wisdom of strengthening its relations with the royal families because of the influence they wielded over voters.
The views expressed in the contents are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of FMT.
