GEORGE TOWN – PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli has urged party members to focus on regaining public confidence, especially wooing fence-sitters as they are the ones who cemented the victory for Pakatan Harapan (PH) in 2018.
Addressing the crowd at a Bayan Baru PKR gathering here, Rafizi said times are tough for the party politically and it has not entered into a possible general election as weak as it is now, while Umno is looking strong.
“In 2008, 2013, and of course 2018, we had momentum. Now it is Umno that seems to have the edge, the sentiments and strength.”
He added that PH can win 80 seats in the next election if it learns from mistakes in the past three years and remains resolute when negotiating with others.
“Political parties can sustain their struggle by winning the hearts of the people, not by negotiating with others to gain power.”
He also hopes that PKR gets through its party polls next month without controversies so it can focus on the real battle, which is the general election.
Accompanying him at today’s event are PKR vice-president candidates Chang Lih Kang, G. Manivannan and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Rafizi is also going head-to-head against Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for the deputy president post.
On his recent return to active politics, Rafizi said his comeback is to help the party, while receiving thousands of messages daily via social media and WhatsApp urging him to do so.
“I have no desire to be prime minister, I just want to be a warrior. There are many ways to achieve a common goal (of making PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) the next prime minister. We should not be backstabbing people to gain an edge.”
He also felt compelled to address the perception that PH won in the 2018 general election because of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who formed Bersatu at the time.
Based on the feedback gleaned from various research houses, Rafizi said there are two main reasons why PH won with a simple majority – one; was the high living costs, and the other being the dissatisfaction towards former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal.
“It is not related to Mahathir. The problem was many of the PH ministers presumed they won because of him. I beg to differ.” – The Vibes, April 23, 2022
