KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — Most young voters still favour Perikatan Nasional (PN) despite various efforts of the unity government to win their support, according to a study by think tank Ilham Centre.
It said this was unchanged from the 15th general election (GE15) when young voters, especially between 18 and 25 years’ old, backed the coalition.
“The information gathered in this study proves that the pattern remains the same and Pakatan Harapan (PH) is facing challenges to attract these voters.
“Even though Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been aggressive in holding dialogues and meeting young people on campus, it turns out that it is not enough to change a large percentage of their support towards the ruling party,” said Ilham Centre.
Ilham Centre added that the provision of RM200 the e-Tunai Belia Rahmah to youths also did not sway the group.
It said the outcome of the six state elections in Kedah, Terengganu, Kelantan, Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan will depend on how the youth decide to vote tomorrow.
“According to statistics released by the Election Commission, it is expected that 4.9 million young voters between the age of 18 and 39 will vote in these state elections,” it said.
Ilham Centre then said that young voters have become more sophisticated and bold in expressing themselves politically.
The survey, which was conducted between July 28 and August 8, involved a total of 2,304 respondents, including 48 who participated in in-depth interviews.
Ilham Centre said the data from face-to-face were collected by enumerators using surveys and semi-structured interview protocols.
