Yet again, Rafizi to predict polls outcome with 'data'

Rafizi Ramli today said he has "data" to show increasing public support for Pakatan Harapan (PH) ahead of the six state elections.

The PKR deputy president, who famously predicted PAS being wiped out in the 2018 elections, said the findings of a survey would be released this month in what is seen as a response to opposition leaders' confidence in taking control of several states in the coming polls.

He said besides revealing that support for Perikatan Nasional (PN) is waning, with "stiff competition" in the PAS strongholds of Kedah and Kelantan, the survey also showed that PH would win in three of the six states.

PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin on June 26 said the PN wave, which began in the 15th general election, will continue in the upcoming elections for the state assemblies of Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. 

Days before voting for the 2018 general election, Rafizi's  big data outfit Invoke Malaysia predicted that PAS, which was not part of the PH coalition led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, would not win a single seat nationwide, both at the federal and state level.

The prediction, which Rafizi said was based on survey data, proved wrong when PAS won 18 parliamentary seats despite facing Barisan Nasional and PH in three-cornered seats, in addition to capturing Terengganu.

Following bigger gains by PAS in the general election last year, Rafizi attributed it to the Islamist party's racial rhetoric and money politics.

In the November polls, PAS won 49 parliamentary seats, the highest number of seats won by any single party.