With 36 hours left before polling, there is still no clear indicator which party will win the Sabah state election this Saturday.
It is still a neck-to-neck race especially between the two main contenders - Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Warisan Plus - to determine which coalition will rule Sabah for the next five years.
The chances for both sides of political divide is still open with 50-50 chance and what they do and who can win the hearts and minds of the voters in this last lap of campaign will determine their fate.
This is the conclusion drawn by Dr Zaini Othman, a political analyst who went to ground and carried out studies in most parts of the state during the election which offers 73 seats.
Zaini, who is also Sabah geopolitics and electoral researcher from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) said the absence of the clear indicator was probably due to the fact that the state election came as a bombshell and all the political parties and the voters alike were not actually prepared for it.
He said this caused internal bickering among the parties due to the dissatisfaction on the many hasty decisions made including in the selection of candidates.
These internal conflicts cause other implications to occur including elements of sabotage, members venturing out to contest as independent candidates and the revival of long-forgotten parties used as platforms for them to join in the fray.
“Thus, it is not surprising when there are 447 candidates contesting in this state election, which is greater than the number of candidates competing in the 14th General Election for the state and parliamentary seats combined,” he told Bernama.
Zaini said his studies indicated domestic concerns were more prominent compared to national issues, including the possible change of administration in Putrajaya which was seen as a ‘cosmetic’ distraction that has no effect on the results of the state election.
Sharing his sentiment is a Universiti Malaysia Sabah senior lecturer and researcher, Dr Syahruddin Awang Ahmad who said prediction on which side would win could not be done for the clashing sides have their strengths and weaknesses, whether in terms of how well they could convey their campaign messages to the voters or address local issues raised by the people.
He said the clash between Warisan Plus and GRS is intense and only a few seats are expected to see large majority while the rest, especially those with multi-cornered fights, are expected to record a small majority.
GRS is made up of PN, BN and PBS while Warisan Plus consists of Warisan, DAP and Amanah as well as its allies UPKO and PKR.
“Victory is still unpredictable until the night before the polls because issues that arose in the first and the second week of campaigning became liabilities to the candidates and parties from both blocs,” he said.
For Dr Romzi Ation, a political researcher with UMS, campaigning has reached almost its full throttle which is indicated by the increasing numbers of posters of the candidates and their constant presence on the ground.
Romzi opined that Warisan Plus was getting more and more attention from the people, however it was not easy for the coalition to win the hearts and minds of the voters this time around because GRS still have strong support in many of the constituencies.
“At this point, I see the chance of wining between Warisan Plus and GRS remains at 50:50,” he added.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Fri Sep 25 2020
The absence of the clear indicator was probably due to the fact that the state election came as a bombshell and all the political parties and the voters alike were not actually prepared for it, Sept 24 2020. BERNAMApic.
Pantau Agenda Reformasi: Bagaimana data PADU akan menambah baik penggubalan dasar?
Memahami keperluan untuk daftar PADU.
Dr. Hadhrami Bin Ab Ghani, Timbalan Dekan Fakulti Sains Data dan Komputeran UMK
Dr. Hadhrami Bin Ab Ghani, Timbalan Dekan Fakulti Sains Data dan Komputeran UMK
ICJ perintahkan Israel ambil tindakan tangani kebuluran di Gaza
Panel hakim di ICJ sebulat suara memerintahkan Israel untuk mengambil tindakan segera bagi menjamin penghantaran bekalan makanan asas kepada warga Palestin di Gaza.
Mungkin pegawai polis senior lindungi kegiatan haram
Pegawai kanan polis yang ditahan kerana menerima suapan bagi melindungi kegiatan
haram di ibu negara baru-baru ini berkemungkinan besar tidak menjalankan aktiviti itu secara solo.
Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM Tan Sri Azam Baki berkata pihaknya tidak menafikan pegawai itu tidak bergerak sendirian dalam menerima suapan dan melindungi kegiatan terbabit, selain disyaki wujud penglibatan pegawai polis yang lebih senior.
haram di ibu negara baru-baru ini berkemungkinan besar tidak menjalankan aktiviti itu secara solo.
Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM Tan Sri Azam Baki berkata pihaknya tidak menafikan pegawai itu tidak bergerak sendirian dalam menerima suapan dan melindungi kegiatan terbabit, selain disyaki wujud penglibatan pegawai polis yang lebih senior.
Jangan ambil tindakan sendiri, Malaysia ada undang-undang
Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Razarudin Husain memberi amaran dan peringatan keras kepada orang ramai untuk tidak mengambil tindakan sendiri berhubung apa jua insiden yang berlaku di negara ini.
34 penjawat awam ditahan, sebabkan ketirisan RM2 bilion
Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) mendedahkan jumlah ketirisan akibat kegiatan sindiket penyeludupan babitkan beberapa anggota Jabatan Kastam Diraja Malaysia di Kargo Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA), Sepang mencecah 2 bilion ringgit bagi tempoh tiga tahun lepas.
[KOLUMNIS] Penyesuaian pesakit dengan stoma: 5 perkara yang perlu anda ketahui
STOMA merupakan bukaan usus di bahagian badan pesakit yang terhasil selepas pesakit menjalani pembedahan berkaitan usus.
Pasangan suami isteri, dua lelaki didakwa perdagang wanita Malaysia di Peru
Sepasang suami isteri dan dua lelaki yang dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Sesyen mengaku tidak bersalah atas pertuduhan memperdagang dua wanita Malaysia di Peru.
PM ucap selamat raikan Good Friday, Easter Sunday kepada penganut Kristian
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengucapkan selamat menyambut hari Good Friday dan Easter Sunday kepada seluruh penganut Kristian.
Singapura rampas 1.5 tan produk segar dan makanan proses dari Malaysia
Kira-kira 1.5 tan produk segar dan makanan diproses yang diimport secara haram dari Malaysia dirampas Agensi Makanan Singapura (SFA).
AWANI Ringkas: Jumlah hari tol percuma kekal
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
BN hormati kerusi DUN milik rakan dalam Kerajaan Perpaduan, sokong bakal calon
BN menghormati kerusi DUN Kuala Kubu Baharu yang dimiliki oleh rakan parti dalam Kerajaan Perpaduan dan akan menyokong calon yang dipilih oleh Anwar.
UMNO bertemu akar umbi bagi perkukuhkan parti
Ia bagi memberi penjelasan terhadap isu-isu yang menjadi persoalan buat mereka bagi memperkukuhkan lagi parti itu.
Muhyiddin label kerajaan PH-BN ‘desperado’
Ahli Parlimen Pagoh itu turut mencabar kerajaan isytiharkan enam kerusi Parlimen dan satu kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri Selangor dikosongkan.
BN sedia letak calon jika enam kerusi bersatu dikosongkan - Ahmad Zahid
Barisan Nasional (BN) sedia meletakkan calon bagi merebut kembali kerusi disandang Ahli Parlimen Bersatu sekiranya pengosongan enam kerusi berkenaan berlaku.
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Rabu, 28 Februari 2024.
Mahkamah tolak rayuan calon BN, Mas Ermieyati kekal Ahli Parlimen Masjid Tanah
Mas Ermieyati kekal Ahli Parlimen Masjid Tanah selepas Mahkamah Persekutuan menolak rayuan calon BN untuk membatalkan kemenangannya dalam Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 (PRU15).
Dewan Tertinggi BN hormat keputusan Lembaga Pengampunan
Dewan Tertinggi Barisan Nasional (BN) menghormati keputusan Lembaga Pengampunan membabitkan bekas Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
'BN-PH adik beradik, runding elok-elok' - Ahmad Zahid
Timbalan Perdana Menteri mengingatkan BN dan PH Perak untuk terus mempertahankan keikhlasan dan persepakatan dalam pentadbiran negeri.
Pertemuan BN Selangor bukan hanya bincang pelantikan Ahli Majlis
UMNO Selangor bincang tawaran yang diberikan oleh Pakatan Harapan Selangor kepada parti berkenaan, pada Jumaat.
RUU kekalkan kerajaan perlu untuk wujud kerajaan stabil, yakinkan pelabur - MB Perak
Cadangan penggubalan Rang Undang-Undang (RUU) untuk mengekalkan kerajaan mentadbir sehingga akhir penggal perlu dilaksana untuk mewujudkan kerajaan yang stabil.