KUALA LUMPUR: PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli has cautioned against prematurely attributing the unity government's recent defeat in the Sungai Bakap by-election to its policies, such as diesel subsidy rationalisation, citing a lack of substantial evidence.
He said more data must be gathered to comprehend better the motivations behind the lower voter turnout, especially among non-Malay voters.
"We (PKR) need to engage more with focus groups to understand why these voters did not come out. Historically, voter turnout among non-Malays in by-elections and state elections has always been lower than in general elections," he said in a press conference after attending the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone Forum, here.
Earlier, Selangor DAP treasurer Ong Kian Ming attributed Pakatan Harapan's (PH) loss in the July 6 polls to campaign missteps, including inadequate response to issues like the cost of living and poor communication on policies like subsidy rationalisation and the privatisation of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad.
Meanwhile, Rafizi, who is also economy minister, said that overall support for PH remained stable, with Malay support hovering around 22 to 23 percent, similar to previous elections.
He said that while there was a noticeable drop in voter turnout among Chinese voters in Sungai Bakap, there was no significant swing in support levels.
"In areas like Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Bandar Mutiara and Sungai Bakap, voter turnout was as low as 45 per cent among Chinese-majority constituencies," he added.
"This is a crucial factor that we need to understand better. If the diesel subsidy rationalisation had a major impact, we would have expected Perikatan Nasional to increase their vote share, but they didn't."
In the Sungai Bakap by-election on July 6, PN's Abidin Ismail won 14,489 votes defeating Pakatan Harapan's Dr Joohari Ariffin who gained 10,222 votes.
In the 2023 state election, the late Nor Zamri Latiff captured Sungai Bakap with 15,433 votes, defeating Nurhidayah Che Rose from PH with 13,870.
Reflecting on electoral trends, Rafizi cited the Johor state election where Barisan Nasional capitalised on lower non-Malay voter turnout, contrasting with subsequent general elections where outcomes shifted.
"It is premature to draw definitive conclusions. Political support remains polarised and stable, and we need to approach this scientifically with data-driven analysis," he stressed.
He urged a deeper examination of underlying electoral dynamics rather than hasty conclusions based on recent policy impacts.