Understanding Party Realignment Dynamics: Insights from Malaysian Voters in the Batang Kali Context

Abstract

ABSTRACT Malaysian politics witnesses a remarkable phenomenon of frequent shifts in voter party preferences, indicating a high level of volatility in political allegiances during elections. This study uses the Theory of Reasoned Action as a framework to examine how voting intention influences party realignment among Malaysian. It explores the impact of attitudes, subjective norms related to ethnic identity, and candidate image on party preferences. The research utilized a quantitative approach with proportionate stratified random sampling. A self-administered survey questionnaire was distributed to 450 participants, maintaining a ratio of 5:1:1 across race and voting districts. These participants represented diverse ethnic backgrounds within the Batang Kali State Constituency, Malaysia. Conducting the study in Batang Kali offers access to relevant populations and facilitates representative sampling, contextual insights, and comparative analysis. Findings suggest that voter attitudes and candidate image play significant roles in decision-making, outweighing subjective norms related to ethnic identity. Subjective norms are not the primary driver of party realignment in a multicultural context. Personal beliefs notably shape voter attitudes, with a candidate's image overshadowing the influence of voting attitude. These insights enhance our understanding of the interplay between subjective norms, attitudes, and candidate images within Malaysia's diverse social landscape, particularly in Batang Kali. The study highlights the importance of prioritizing candidate image and voters' egocentric attitudes in political campaigns over subjective norms associated with ethnic identity.