Rafizi eyes 30pct Malay support for PKR, Harapan to defeat BN-PN combo

PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli has predicted that his party’s candidates, as well as Pakatan Harapan’s, can survive a straight fight with BN or Perikatan Nasional (PN) in up to 27 marginal seats in the upcoming 15th general election. 

Rafizi (above, centre) said this is based on variables comprising up to 30 percent Malay support in the Malay-majority seats, more than 80 percent non-Malay support, and a voter turnout of more than 75 percent.

“Of the 27 overlapping seats, the majority are actually PKR seats. These seats are usually constituencies where Malay voters are between 60 percent and 70 percent.

“So, the so-called thought is that if Umno-BN and PN combine and avoid clashes there, they can command up to 90 percent Malay votes, and by doing that they will be able to win despite not getting much non-Malay support,” said the PKR elections director at a press conference after launching Cista, a mobile application for the party’s machinery. 

While noting that there is a basis to the strategy, Rafizi cited PKR’s survey findings that indicated a shift of Malay support towards his party and Harapan, partly attributed to unhappiness in the government’s handling of issues including rising costs of living. 

“From the data, from July to August, we saw a swing of up to four percent Malay support for PKR and Harapan. So things are very dynamic,” he said.

Previously, PAS central committee member Mohd Zuhdi Marsuki reportedly claimed Umno and PAS grassroots in the 27 seats have agreed to negotiate to avoid a PN versus BN clash with Harapan and others.

The 27 seats he referred to included 20 held by Harapan and seven others lost by Harapan by a slim majority.

PAS Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari and other leaders at the party’s annual gathering earlier this month also insisted negotiations with Umno can continue until the last minute, despite resistance from Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Winning hearts and minds

Commenting further, Rafizi said PKR and Harapan should aim to continue engaging fence-sitters and prepare for GE15 to be called as early as November.

“It is up to Umno and PAS to strategise and avoid clashes, but my experience in 2016 is that if you want to win an election, you need to win the hearts and minds of voters.

“If PKR and Harapan can appeal to enough Malay voters in these 27 seats, and we cross the 30 percent mark in two or three months from now, which is doable, then even in straight fights Umno and PAS may find themselves surprised again,” he said.

Asked to identify some of the seats, Rafizi pointed to Malay-majority constituencies in Kedah, Johor, and Selangor where there is a sizeable number of Malay professionals inclined toward supporting PAS.

He said the areas include Kulim Bandar Baru, currently held by PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, as well as Bersatu seats won in GE14 while a part of Harapan. 

Earlier, Rafizi in his speech to some 600 PKR volunteers gathered at the International Youth Centre in Cheras for a one-day training session on Cista, said the party has set a target of reaching out via phone calls to 1.5 million fence-sitters by November.

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