Fence sitters are going to play the key role in deciding the winner of the next General Election, predicted a Penang-based academic today.

Political analyst Sivamurgan Pandian ( left ) said whichever political front is capable of winning over the estimated 40 percent of this group will sit in Putrajaya.

dr sivamurugan pandian He based his prognosis on the results of the last polls, saying one can safely assume that both the Barisan Nasional and the Pakatan Rakyat share voter loyalty of 30 percent each.

This leaves the 40 per cent who will remain silent until the final moments of the electoral campaign before deciding where their votes will go.

"The electoral battle line is drawn on how swiftly, effectively and decisively either coalition can embrace these fence sitters.

"Whoever wins them over will form the next federal government in Putrajaya," said the deputy dean from School of Social Sciences in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

He said this particular group mostly comprise cyber savvy urbanites and those active in various social and political movements.

Uphill task to win them over

The others, he said, are the minority ethnic Indians, native Sabahans and Sarawakians, and also former civil servants.

"It won't be easy to win them over . . . they are a bunch of critical, dissatisfied and upset voters," Sivamurugan told Malaysiakini .

The USM lecturer said they the ones who are looking into socio-economic and political issues beyond the conventional agenda of development, stability and welfare goodies.

corruption charges He said the urbanites demand comprehensive, far reaching and liberal policies on eradication of corruption, education, crime, housing, land rights, freedom of religion, socio-political activism, political integrity, accountability, transparency and decentralisation of federal powers.

"They deplore electoral goodies and quick fix solutions. They demand good governance and permanent policies based on the rule of law, justice, fairness and civil liberty," said Sivamurugan.

The 2008 12th General Election, he said, showed that Pakatan performed strongly in urban areas while the BN managed to survive through the support of rural voters as well as those of Sabahans and Sarawakians.

He said the Pakatan states will now have to woo the rural vote while the BN needs to swiftly address and arrest certain key issues such as corruption to win back the urban vote.

Both sides will be under microscope

He said although Indian voters supported Pakatan candidates the last time around, it was more of an anti-BN backlash than a pro-Pakatan swing.

"One can't be sure of how Indians, Sabahans and Sarawakians would vote the next time.

bagan pinang 081009 indian voters "These groups will base their decision on performance and the delivery of both BN and Pakatan administrations," said Sivamurugan.

He forecast a different political scenario in the polls, adding that it will not be a repeat of the political tsunami of March 2008.

Unlike previously, he pointed out, both the BN and the Pakatan are now competing against each other on equal footing as either ruling or opposition coalitions across the country.

He said both are duty bound to perform and deliver, either as administration or opposition representatives.

"The fence sitters are smarter and mature now. They are monitoring all political acts and deeds. Politicians can no longer take their votes for granted," said the academic.