KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) ability to retain voter support in the Negeri Sembilan state election will hinge on whether its eight-year administration has convinced voters that its performance outweighs shifting political alliances.

Merdeka Centre programme director Ibrahim Suffian said the state election would indicate whether voters continued to value governance and stability, given that PH has governed Negeri Sembilan since 2018 without any major administrative crises or controversies.

“The big question mark to see is whether or not PH can still maintain its base in support because they’ve been the state government since 2018 and there have not been any major crises or controversies with respect to the state administration in all of these years.

“…but the question is, have they done enough to assuage, to persuade voters that they present a better lineup, whether voters really vote for performance or voters vote on hope or fear,” he said during Bernama TV’s special programme in conjunction with the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election today.

While national political developments would inevitably shape voter sentiment, Ibrahim said the state government’s own track record would remain an important consideration at the ballot box.

Ibrahim said that studies conducted by Merdeka Centre showed voters were generally able to distinguish between state and federal responsibilities when assessing government performance.

According to him, issues such as flood mitigation, land applications and local government services were commonly viewed as state matters, while the cost of living, economic reforms and institutional changes were largely attributed to the federal government.

He said voters were also weighing everyday concerns such as employment opportunities, infrastructure and public services alongside expectations for greater transparency and more responsive elected representatives.

Nevertheless, Ibrahim said national sentiment would continue to influence certain voter groups, particularly those expecting reforms promised by the federal government to be implemented.

At the same time, he described the Negeri Sembilan election as an important test of the emerging cooperation between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN), which he said reflected a more pragmatic approach to electoral politics.

Ibrahim noted that the coordination between the two coalitions was aimed at consolidating Malay votes under Malaysia’s first-past-the-post electoral system by avoiding multi-cornered contests in selected constituencies.

One of the key indicators, he said, would be the transferability of votes between BN and PN supporters, which would determine whether the cooperation translated into electoral gains.

Voter turnout, particularly among young and outstation voters, as well as the outcome in marginal seats would also provide important insights into the effectiveness of the new political alignment, he said.

A total of 401 polling centres involving 1,668 streams for the state election opened simultaneously at 8am today, with 859,760 registered voters, including 7,391 postal voters, eligible to cast their ballots in the contest for the 36 state seats.

The state election sees 103 candidates, with PH contesting all 36 seats, followed by BN with 25, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) with 24, PN with 11, and four independent candidates.

Barisan Jamaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa), Parti Orang Asli Malaysia (Asli) and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) are each fielding one candidate.

For the latest updates on the state polls, visit https://prn.bernama.com/n9. — Bernama