Parti Bersama Malaysia co-founder Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli says the subdued campaign atmosphere in the Melaka state election has made it difficult to assess voter sentiment ahead of Saturday’s polls.
MELAKA: The subdued atmosphere surrounding the Melaka state election has made it difficult to gauge voters’ political preferences, with Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) co-founder Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli acknowledging that many appear reluctant to reveal their intentions ahead of Saturday’s polling.
He said campaigning in Melaka appeared noticeably quieter than during the Johor state election, with fewer large-scale programmes and less visible enthusiasm among voters.
“The campaign in Melaka has been quieter compared with Johor. There have not been many large-scale programmes, and I think this applies to all parties,” he told a press conference in Batu Berendam on Thursday.
However, Rafizi acknowledged that he had not closely followed the campaign activities of rival parties, saying his attention remained focused on Bersama’s own election machinery.
Based on his observations, he said voters appeared increasingly guarded about their political preferences, making it difficult to determine whether they had already decided whom to support.
“One clear observation is that voters appear to be keeping their views and support to themselves.
“We do not know whether they have already made up their minds, whether they are fatigued or whether they are still keeping their options open,” he said.
Rafizi said the possibility of a larger number of undecided voters could not be ruled out, although the reasons behind the subdued atmosphere would become clearer only after polling.
Against this backdrop, he expressed hope that voters who had yet to make up their minds would attend Bersama’s final campaign rally at Dataran Madani in Ayer Keroh tomorrow at 8pm.
“I hope more voters, especially those who are still on the fence, will attend tomorrow’s rally at Dataran Madani in Ayer Keroh,” he said.
The rally, scheduled to begin at 8pm, has been the subject of a dispute after the Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council (MPHTJ) informed Bersama that its application to use the venue could not be considered.
Despite the unresolved issue, Rafizi maintained that the party would proceed with the programme as planned, citing consultations with the police and the Election Commission (EC).
“We have not received any additional feedback. As I announced earlier, we will proceed as usual because we have consulted the police and the EC,” he said.
He claimed that both authorities had indicated that permits relating to crowd control and security arrangements during election campaigns fell under the police’s jurisdiction rather than that of local authorities.
“We have taken the views of the EC and the police into account. We will proceed as usual,” he said.
Rafizi added that Bersama was intensifying its publicity efforts to encourage attendance at the rally, which would mark the party’s final campaign push before polling.
