IT is not necessary for Pakatan Harapan (PH) to move to the right for the coalition to win the support of right-wing voters, analysts said.
PH should, however, react better when it comes to Malay-Muslim matters, they told The Vibes.
The comments came after PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said PH should not abandon its ideals and risk losing the coalition’s core supporters to win over far-right opposition voters.
The natural resources and environmental sustainability minister said PH will never be able to match the Perikatan Nasional (PN) Malay base and it should focus on fence-sitters in the upcoming Kuala Kubu Baru by-election.
“PH does not need to move to the right but they, as the government, should respond on issues pertaining to Islam and Malay in a more effective manner,” said Hisomuddin Bakar of Ilham Centre.
“At least address their (Malay and the Bumiputera) fears and anxiety. They must not neglect the Pribumi agenda to win the support from their core supporters,” said the analyst.
Nik Nazmi said PH will need to reach out to the fence-sitters who swing from one party to another, adding that traditionally, they have been determining who wins or loses in elections.
He said while PH does not want to lose its core support, it needs to win over the swing voters whether they are Malay or non-Malay and to address their concerns.
Hisomuddin, who is IIham Centre executive director, said PH should respond to issues faster.
He said PH could stand to lose their hardcore supporters if they decide to appease the right-wingers.
“All this while, PH was never a right-wing party, let alone a far-right party. They have been supported by the non-Malays, liberals and urban voters.
“At the moment, PH is being criticised by pro-reform groups who think that the government is slow in implementing changes while the non-Malays are also hoping for a better economy.
“I fear that without even moving to the right, PH is losing their hardcore supporters due to slow reforms and a weak economy,” he added.
The general criticism against PH leadership was that they seemed to be trying to outdo PN, which now controls most of the Malay-majority seats in Peninsular Malaysia.
When asked about this, the natural resources and environmental sustainability minister disagreed with such a notion.
Nik Nazmi said PH leaders, especially PKR, have been trying their best to find a balance.
“It’s always a challenging balancing act and I think PKR feels it the most. We get squeezed out in the middle because our constituencies are multiracial.
“For many political parties, they have easy template answers or solutions. But for PKR, we can’t because, you know, we have people who are very, very liberal on one end and you have people who are quite conservative on the other in our constituencies,” he said.
Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun was of the view that PH should leave right-wing politics to Umno.
Oh said Nik Nazmi was voicing out the concerns of many hardcore PH supporters who insist and expect PH to stay its progressive and reformist course, and not be diverted into a regressive and conservative detour.
“PH could leave the right-wing politics to Umno, which is doing quite a fine job recently, at least in its own opinion,” said Oh.
A random check by The Vibes among the public showed they felt that the government should treat each citizen equally regardless of political alignment.
While some admitted that the government should pay extra attention to Malay-Muslim issues, some explained that it is also important for the government to remain fair towards everyone.
Azmin Hussein, 65, said the Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim-led unity government must do more to protect the sanctity of the Malay-Muslim agenda but must not resort to extreme measures.
He believed that failing to do so, Putrajaya may not win the support from Malay voters, especially in the northern region.
“They just need to be clever on how to tackle an issue. Be vocal when it comes to Malay-Muslim issues but it must not be too extreme in their approach.
“They may need the urban voters, especially the non-Malays to stay in power, so they need to be clever. I don’t think they should be on the right too much, maybe just a little bit,” said the pensioner.
Marketing executive K. Thivek Raj, 32, said it was the responsibility of every government to be fair to its people.
“I think if we have a good economy, the votes will come automatically. I think if they can fix the economy, they can easily convince PN voters that they can take care of them. It is also hard for PN to play up racial issues because PH can counter it by showing their track record,” he said.
Dina Azahar expects the government to take care of the Malays as well as the non-Malays.
The promoter agreed that while the Malay-Muslim agenda must be protected, the government must also do more for the non-Malays.
“How can we prosper if we are divided? Of course, the government can always appease the segment that they feel can benefit them but that will create animosity among the people.
“I prefer mature politics rather than playing up race and religious issues,” she said.
Mohd Alif Omar from Klang mirrored Dina’s view, adding that PH should stay on its own path as for now.
He said it is the job for partners in the government to counter the right-wing narrative being used to stir up religious tension.
“Umno is still considered a huge Malay party. I think they need to play a major role. They cannot allow one or two people in the party to be ultra right-wing.
“They need to be moderate. Their propaganda machinery should be able to deliver the government’s agenda. They need to inform the rural folk that Malays are safe despite all the allegations.
“By doing that, I don’t see why PH should move to the right, but they must increase their standards. Walk the talk at least,” said the 38-year-old. – April 10, 2024.
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