KUDAT: The imminent state elections for the six states in the peninsula will be a major test for the Unity Government and will have a great impact on political landscape of the country, especially in the peninsula.
Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong) President, Tan Sri T.C Goh said the outcome of the six state elections would also be considered as the “wind vane” for the coming general elections nationwide.
He urged all registered voters in the six states, Chinese especially, to come out to cast their votes.
Goh, who is also President of The Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS) said this when officiating the torch run for the 38th National Chinese Cultural Festival (NCCF) at Pei Tsin High School, here, Saturday.
Also present were Goh’s wife Puan Sri Joanne Ho, Kudat Member of Parliament Datuk Verdon Bahanda, Tg Kapor assemblyman Ben Chong, main organising chairman of 38th NCCF cum FCAS Deputy President Datuk Susan Wong Siew Guen, her deputy cum Vice President of FCAS, Kapitan Fung Chun Fatt, FCAS Vice
President Ng Young Wah, Organising Chairman of Kudat torch run cum Chairman of Pei Tsin School Board, Soon Kah Khian and its Principal, Kong Kui Kiong, among others.
The nomination day for the six state elections in Penang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu was Saturday. A total of 572 candidates are vying for the 245 state seats.
Of the 245 seats, he said Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu have 113 seats which are predominantly occupied by Malay voters; they are also the most intensely-contested seats for the Malay-based political parties, following the last general elections which were held last November.
The other three states namely Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan have a total of 132 state seats, with more than 50 per cent of the voters in Penang and Selangor being Chinese, while Negeri Sembilan has almost equal numbers of Chinese and Malay voters.
This, he said, means these three states would cater a number of mixed constituencies that would be intensely contested by political parties from both sides of the divide.
He opined that the eventual outcomes of the six state elections may ultimately have a “subtle” impact on Sabah and Sarawak.
“It may not affect the current political situation in Sabah. But, the outcome will be a “wind vane” which would influence the “political direction” in Sabah.
He noted that Sabah which had its state election in 2020 has another two years to go before the present state government is dissolved.
The state’s anti-party hop law was passed in the State Legislative Assembly in May.
He, thus, opined Sabah would continue to enjoy a stable political situation.
