Voter Choices Post 14th General Election in N23 Manjoi and N59 Behrang, Perak

Abstract

The 14th General Election (GE) showed Pakatan Harapan (PH) for the first time in the history of elections to form an administration in Perak. Changes in the results of this general election are certainly influenced by the tendency of voters to vote for parties or candidates who are able to benefit the community. In terms of electoral geography, the Manjoi and Behrang state assembly consists of urban, semi-urban and rural areas that have 18 and 20 voting district centers respectively. This area consists of ethnic Malays, Chinese, Indians and others. Thus, this study analyzes the tendencies of voters during the 14th GE in Manjoi and Behrang State Assembly by using the framework of rational choice theory to evaluate the factors related to respondents' choices. In order to achieve the objective of the study, a quantitative approach using questionnaire instruments was distributed face-to-face to a total of 450 voters in the area. Secondary sources are also used to support the findings. Quantitative data was analyzed descriptively using SPSS software in tabular form. The results of the study found that the voter's choice of party, economic and candidate factors was significant to the change in the election results in Manjoi and Behrang. Candidate choice is seen as dominant in influencing voter decisions during the 14th GE. It is clear that the respondents in Manjoi and Behrang have given the opportunity and chosen candidates who are believed to be able to improve local development to a better level than the administration before the 14th GE.