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SHAH ALAM – Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi emerged as the most popular political leader throughout the Johor state election (PRN) campaign, recording a popularity rating nearly twice that of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
In a statement on Friday, Ilham Centre said its survey found that Onn Hafiz recorded a 79 per cent popularity rating among respondents, compared with 40 per cent for Anwar.
It said the findings suggest that voters were more inclined to assess the performance of the state government rather than the Federal Government when making their decisions in a state election.
"In the context of a state election, voters tend to make decisions based on local considerations by focusing on who governs Johor, the effectiveness of the state administration and the direct benefits enjoyed by the people."
"BN appears to have gained greater campaign traction by making Onn Hafiz's performance its main selling point in attracting voter support," it said.
Ilham Centre said BN's campaign narrative centred on continuity in governance, political stability and Onn Hafiz's performance record, reinforced by the implementation of major projects such as the Rapid Transit System (RTS), data centre developments, the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), and various state government cash assistance initiatives.
It added that Pakatan Harapan (PH), on the other hand, appeared to rely heavily on Anwar's influence to drive its campaign momentum.
Although the Prime Minister campaigned aggressively across many constituencies, the approach did not translate into a significant wave of support, it said.
"The survey also found that the majority of voters were unable to clearly identify the main campaign theme or key issues promoted by PH, apart from its call for voters to support the Federal Government.
"Attempts to make the proposed debate between Maszlee Malik and Onn Hafiz a focal point of the campaign also failed to materialise, while the narratives of integrity and accountability were overshadowed by voters' concerns over the cost of living and everyday needs," it said.
According to Ilham Centre, the cost of living, employment opportunities, daily cross-border mobility to Singapore, affordable housing and traffic congestion remained the key issues influencing voters across different ethnic groups, age demographics and constituencies.
Overall, it said the survey showed that Onn Hafiz's popularity had outweighed Anwar's influence in shaping voter sentiment.
"The findings indicate that in a state election, the credibility of state-level leadership remains a more dominant factor than the influence of national leaders," it said.
