Voters start to put candidates under the microscope

PORT DICKSON: An increasing number of voters are putting their candidates under close scrutiny with the six state elections this Saturday.

Many are using various means to gain more insight into the candidates’ promises and personalities.

Mohd Imaran, 25, a supervisor from Bagan Pinang, explained his approach to choosing a candidate.

He said he would only start paying attention to the candidates a few days before voting day by consulting his mother about suitable candidates, before looking for videos of these candidates to hear their campaign messages.

“By watching their videos and social media conversations, I can assess which candidate truly has the potential to help with local development. It’s regrettable that in the previous elections, some candidates failed to fulfil their promises after being elected.

“I will also ask for opinions from friends and family before deciding who to vote for,” he said.

Nor Baltriya, 19, a university student from Sri Tanjung, said due to time constraints, she would only check on prospective candidates via platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

“I don’t mind the candidate’s age or the political party they belong to; if they share their activities on social media, I pay attention.

“I also observe how candidates interact with voters on their accounts and evaluate their speaking skills.

“I hope they would share their manifesto on social media, too, as that would help me understand their ideas and how they plan to contribute to local development,” she said.

Meanwhile, in Kuala Pilah, both young and old voters prefer face-to-face engagements.

For housewife Parvathy Ramasamy, 57, attending ceramah is the best way for her to know the candidates.

“We’re not tech-savvy. Whenever there are ceramah sessions nearby, my husband will bring us along.

“At least then, we can see for ourselves what the candidate looks like and hear their plans,” she said when met.

Ho Fong Chan, 67, said she would get to know the candidates through conversations with her peers.

“It will be good to see them (candidates) face to face. We’re old and not as good with scrolling social media,” she said.

A housewife, who wanted to be known only as Ann, said she got to know the candidates through social media.

“They pop up (on our feed) occasionally, and we recognise them from there,” said Ann, who is in her 60s.

Kindergarten staffer Nur Faraain Zainal, 26, said she got to know the candidates contesting in her area through social media.“If we’re fortunate, they have programmes in our area where we can meet them in person,” she said.

At Kampung Orang Asli Guntur, Tok Batin Jani, who goes only by a single name, said community programmes organised by candidates allowed villagers to know them better.

He said the community also places high emphasis on where the candidate is from.

“The candidate must be from where they’re contesting so they know what issues we face.

“If you’re elected, don’t just come once every five years. Always make time to visit us,” the 57-year-old said.

Kampung Orang Asli Guntur chairman Adnan Sulak, 57, said meeting the candidates personally always trumps social media approaches.

“This way, the community can recognise them and know what the candidate is like.

“The more people know them, the better. The physical touch works best,” he said.

Trader Mohd Nurkhazar Ruzaini, 34, said although social media made him aware of who is contesting, he still prefers to meet them physically.

“Yes, we will know how they look like (through social media), but if we have never met or spoken with them, how can we know what they’re like?” he said.