This is the view of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Political Science Senior Lecturer Mohamad Agus Yusoff.
“PAS will lose big time. Although PAS is an old party and has been tested in national politics, their decision to stand alone will not bring them any political advantage in the two by-elections,” he wrote in a Facebook posting.
Agus predicted that the Barisan Nasional would win as it is seen as a party with multiracial political cooperation.
“In a multiracial country, political cooperation between the races is important and ever since this country’s independence, parties that project this image will win in elections.”
On Amanah, Agus predicted that they would do better than PAS but would still be unable to defeat BN.
“Amanah will be in second place , despite being a new party, its teamwork in Pakatan Harapan with PKR and DAP has given it the strength to compete with BN, though still lagging behind 8-10 percentage points.”
Agus claimed that the two by-elections have shown that the country was still far from being politically mature.
“Why? The campaign is still racist, there are still personal insults being hurled, still disturbances during the opposing parties talks and it is still not fair even though it is free,” he said.
The Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar by-elections will take place on June 18. They are being held following the deaths of MPs Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar and Noriah Kasnon in a helicopter crash in Sebuyau, Sarawak on May 5.
The Sungai Besar by-election will see a three-cornered fight between BN candidate Budiman Mohd Zuhdi, Amanah candidate Azhar Abdul Shukur and PAS candidate Abdul Rani Osman.
The Kuala Kangasar by-election involves a contest between BN candidate Mastura Mohd Yazid, PAS candidate Najihatussalehah Ahmad, Amanah candidate Ahmad Termizi Ramli and independent candidate Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary.