Informed sources stated that in the August 12 state elections in three of the six states Malaysian Indian voters are expected to play the role of kingmaker in Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan although they account for only 7 percent of the total Malaysian population.

This is because they constitute more than 10 percent of the voters in constituencies in these three states and the Pakatan and Barisan Nasional candidates have been working hard to woo Indian voters whose roles could be decisive in determining seats.

Independent analysts say if the Pakatan and Barisan Nasional alliance win in these three states it will be because in 76 of the 132 seats in Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan, more than 10 percent are Indian voters.

In Selangor, 13.9 percent of the 3.7 million registered voters are from the Indian community, in Penang, 11.8 percent or 1.2 million voters and in Negeri Sembilan 15 percent or 864,425 voters are Indian.

While there has been a lot of talk on the ground of a “Green Wave” and Perikatan Nasional doing all it can to break the stranglehold of the Pakatan and BN alliance, Indians are expected to show their support for the latter alliance.

This is why leaders of the Pakatan and BN alliance have been busying themselves in the run up to the elections to curry favour with Indian voters and the political ploy seems to be working well but only the final outcome of the elections will prove it.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE