According to reports on the Ijok by-election, the BN obtained about 85 percent of the Indian votes. Many may be surprised that their support level for the BN is very much higher than the Malay support.

It is not because the BN has fielded an Indian candidate while Keadilan has put up a Malay corporate figure. Even if BN did not field an Indian, it is believed that it would not make much of a difference in term of electoral support from the Indian voters.

My colleague, Gooi Seong Kin thinks the 1990 general election was a watershed for this political phenomenal. He observed that after that election, the voting trend based on the voters’ racial background has changed considerably.

Prior to that election, most Chinese-based opposition parties (like the DAP) would categorise voters into Malays and non-Malays. To obtain support from the first category would be considered a bonus. They received their core support from the second category because the non-Malays comprising the Chinese and Indian were more opposition inclined.

After the 1990 general election, the Malay support for BN has not changed significantly except for the 1999 when PAS under the BA set up won over significant percentage of the Malay votes. The Keadilan can also claim certain degree of Malay support. But by and large, the Malay has not abandon Umno and BN. (more…)