COMMENT | The campaign for the state polls is in full swing; walkabouts, ceramah, debates, streams of WhatsApp messages and new TikTok videos galore.

Despite the activity, in this mega state elections, politicians are finding the electorate more disengaged and discerning. In fact, the words being used to describe the hustings are “cool” and “cold”.

Trust in politicians has seriously eroded in the past few years, from former prime ministers Najib Abdul Razak and Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin Yassin to current deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, large sections of the population don’t trust any of them, with others only trusting one or two of them.

The betrayal of the Sheraton Move of 2020 still lingers in the minds of many voters, especially in urban areas.

Perhaps with the exceptions of caretaker Kedah menteri besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s loyalists who put their faith in him, the days of political heroes are ending....