Rural support for PH surges after Dr M named as PM

• SUPPORT for Pakatan Harapan in rural areas has grown after the opposition pact named Dr Mahathir Mohamad as its candidate for prime minister, according to a recent study.
• Institut Darul Ehsan (IDE) chief executive Professor Dr Mohammad Redzuan Othman said most of the respondents from its recent survey agreed with the decision because of the former prime minister’s experience in leading the country for 22 years.
• Redzuan, however, refused to divulge any detail from the survey. He said the findings will be made public soon.
• Following the announcement of Dr Mahathir and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as PH’s choice for the top two posts, IDE sent a team of researchers across the country to gauge people’s sentiments on the selection. In the beginning, there was a negative reaction towards the announcement, Redzuan said.
• “But what’s interesting is 80% who can’t accept Dr Mahathir said it is because of his age. For those who accept Dr Mahathir as prime minister, it’s because of his experience administering Malaysia.
• “Those who accept him is because of his experience, those who don’t is because he is an old man,” the vice-chancellor of Universiti Selangor (Unisel) said.
• Bersatu, Umno’s splinter party, also managed to garner more public support, especially in rural areas, because of Dr Mahathir, he said.
• “In our survey, we asked questions like what do you think of Umno? And they said Umno is the ruling party. What do you make of PAS? They said PAS is fighting for Islam.
• “When we asked about Bersatu, they said it’s Dr Mahathir’s party. It means they know (about the party), it shows the party’s trademark. It sticks in their minds.

External Link : https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/35297/