S'wak BN has edge as economic issues occupy voters' mind
Bread and butter issues are on the top of the minds of Sarawakians as the state heads for an election.
This is according to a survey conducted by pollster Merdeka Centre, giving the incumbent BN state government the edge at the polling booth.
The pollster said 33 percent of the 815 voters it surveyed reported that the rising cost of living, economic hardship, jobs, and related issues as their top concern.
This is followed by concerns about the infrastructure in the state, according to the survey findings released by Merdeka Centre today.
It said 28 percent of respondents cited the development map between Sarawak and other states as their top concern.
“ In our opinion, the issues that drive this election remain rooted in fundamental pocketbook issues (that is, cost of living and jobs) as well as demands for provision of basic infrastructure services in the rural consituencies of Sarawak.
“ This provides latent advantage to the incumbent state ruling party as compared to the opposition as the former remains best placed to resolve such issues compared to the latter,” Merdeka Centre said in a statement.
The survey was conducted between Jan 20 and 26 this year, involving interviews with 815 Sarawakian voters conducted via fixed and mobile phone lines.
The respondents comprised 38 percent non-Muslim bumiputera, 36 percent ethnic Chinese, and 27 percent Muslim bumiputera voters, which Merdeka Centre said matches Sarawak's electoral profile.
The survey's margin of error is within 3.43 percentage points.
The Sarawak state legislative assembly will be dissolved on Monday next week, and state election must be called in the next 60 days. However, the election date is widely anticipated to fall in early May.
On the economy, the survey found that voters hold mixed views about the economy, with 44 percent reporting that they feel the current economic conditions are favourable, while another 50 percent say the conditions are unfavourable.
When asked how confident they are about the economy a year from now, 43 percent of respondents expressed optimism, while 45 percent expressed pessimism.
Just over half of the voters (52 percent) report that they were able to make ends meet, while 47 percent report they have difficulty doing so.
Sixty percent of respondents also expressed pessimism towards job opportunities in the state, while an overwhelming 81 percent expressed concern over the prices of consumer goods and services.
Despite these however, 55 percent of respondents reported that they are satisfied with the state government's handling of the economy.
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