Don’t dismiss PN’s hold on Malay vote, PH warned
Analyst Azmil Tayeb sees PN offering a reliable alternative to Umno among the Malays.
PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan (PH) would be deluded to think the wave of support Perikatan Nasional (PN) received in last November’s general election was only a fleeting trend, according to two analysts.
Azmil Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia said an “overwhelming number” of Malay voters saw PN as a credible alternative to Umno and PH now that the two are working together.
Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said the surge in support for PN in GE15 could not be seen as fleeting and the coalition would be seeking to ride on this wave even in the PH strongholds of Selangor and Penang.
“I expect PN to continue making waves in the state elections, especially in Malay-majority seats,” Azmil told FMT. “It’s hard to see the trend reversing any time soon since this depends heavily on the economic performance of Anwar Ibrahim’s government.”
He sees PN offering a reliable alternative to Umno among the Malays, even for long-time supporters of the Barisan Nasional (BN) linchpin.
“There’s also a real possibility that many Umno-BN and PH supporters could sit out the state elections, thus handing PN an easy victory,” he said.
“The Padang Serai election was a clear indicator that many PH and Umno supporters were not keen on this alliance.”
Awang Azman said he expected PN to have a well-planned campaign for the six state elections this year.
“Despite the reaction to PN’s playing of the racial and religious card, this remains its best weapon in facing the unity government,” he said.
On Sunday, Kedah PH information and communications director Ismail Salleh expressed confidence the coalition could wrest Kedah from PAS in the state polls.
Dismissing the PN successes in GE15 as nothing more than a fleeting trend, Ismail claimed that PN voters were having a change of heart after realising that the coalition banked on the racial and religious card to win support.
Elections will be held in Penang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah this year as they did not dissolve their state assemblies in tandem with Parliament’s dissolution for GE15.
Azmil said Anwar’s government, if it were to be effective in countering the wave of support for PN, must manage the economy well by reducing the cost of living, creating jobs and providing subsidies to youths and the B40 income group.
Awang Azman said there seemed to be little movement from PH and BN in countering PN’s narrative.
He warned them against remaining quiet for too long, saying the administration of six states was on the line.
He said PH must be more aggressive in responding to PN through facts and figures on social media, including TikTok.
PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan (PH) would be deluded to think the wave of support Perikatan Nasional (PN) received in last November’s general election was only a fleeting trend, according to two analysts.
Azmil Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia said an “overwhelming number” of Malay voters saw PN as a credible alternative to Umno and PH now that the two are working together.
Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said the surge in support for PN in GE15 could not be seen as fleeting and the coalition would be seeking to ride on this wave even in the PH strongholds of Selangor and Penang.
“I expect PN to continue making waves in the state elections, especially in Malay-majority seats,” Azmil told FMT. “It’s hard to see the trend reversing any time soon since this depends heavily on the economic performance of Anwar Ibrahim’s government.”
He sees PN offering a reliable alternative to Umno among the Malays, even for long-time supporters of the Barisan Nasional (BN) linchpin.
“There’s also a real possibility that many Umno-BN and PH supporters could sit out the state elections, thus handing PN an easy victory,” he said.
“The Padang Serai election was a clear indicator that many PH and Umno supporters were not keen on this alliance.”
Awang Azman said he expected PN to have a well-planned campaign for the six state elections this year.
“Despite the reaction to PN’s playing of the racial and religious card, this remains its best weapon in facing the unity government,” he said.
On Sunday, Kedah PH information and communications director Ismail Salleh expressed confidence the coalition could wrest Kedah from PAS in the state polls.
Dismissing the PN successes in GE15 as nothing more than a fleeting trend, Ismail claimed that PN voters were having a change of heart after realising that the coalition banked on the racial and religious card to win support.
Elections will be held in Penang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah this year as they did not dissolve their state assemblies in tandem with Parliament’s dissolution for GE15.
Azmil said Anwar’s government, if it were to be effective in countering the wave of support for PN, must manage the economy well by reducing the cost of living, creating jobs and providing subsidies to youths and the B40 income group.
Awang Azman said there seemed to be little movement from PH and BN in countering PN’s narrative.
He warned them against remaining quiet for too long, saying the administration of six states was on the line.
He said PH must be more aggressive in responding to PN through facts and figures on social media, including TikTok.
PN is the once and future Federal Government.
ReplyDeleteThe majority Melayu want it so.
Anwar Ibrahim may even break Ismail Sabri's record for shortest serving PM.