Selayang MP William Leong seems to be the latest Pakatan Harapan (PH) lawmaker to shift into high-gear “damage control” mode following the immense backlash against the coalition from its non-Malay base.
Leong openly acknowledged that non-Malays are deeply frustrated and angry with PH. It is a stark admission of a painful reality: a growing number of voters are openly declaring they will no longer vote for the coalition, or worse, will skip the polls entirely.
However, the long-serving PKR MP cautioned that by staying home, voters will actually surrender their right to shape their own future to others—a choice that could make their lives even more difficult!
He went on to list four political realities that voters must face.
According to him…
Firstly, PH had duly heeded the King’s call to form a Unity Government in the belief that being part of the administration is better than sitting in the opposition. In reality, it is actually a minority government having to appease the demands of its coalition partners while implementing whatever reforms it can.
Secondly, institutional and administrative challenges make implementing changes incredibly difficult, given a deeply entrenched civil service.
Thirdly, many supporters may be losing sight of the dangers posed by the "Green Wave." Not voting in the next general election (GE16) could allow Perikatan Nasional (PN) to sweep into the federal government, effectively paving the way for PAS to pursue its dreams of eventually establishing a theocratic Islamic state.
Fourthly, Malaysian politics and society post-GE15 have become deeply fractured along ethnic lines. Given the country's demographics, the government has been compelled to act with extreme sensitivity, as any reform perceived as trampling on Bumiputera privileges could spark political instability and rip apart social harmony.
Leong signed off his plea with a well-known idiom: “It’s best not to change horses midstream.”
Admittedly, the PKR veteran’s plea may have its merits on paper, but what else are faithful supporters supposed to do when the horse they mounted with great hopes has chosen to stop midstream—and has adamantly refused to move forward?
He further hinted that the current Madani administration is bogged down by certain intricate factors:
Coalition pressures.
Bureaucratic resistance.
Ethnic sensitivities.
Really? But who said that running a government was easy anyway!
The reality is that the frustrated non-Malay ground isn't asking for heaven and earth. They are merely asking for one simple thing: basic fairness.
As for the Selayang lawmaker's veiled warning about the threat posed by PAS and the so-called Green Wave, what critics are asking is simple: Isn't his current administration already doing a great job for the “enemy”—virtually free of charge?
Let’s be honest…
Was it PAS that publicly reprimanded a young female Indian student in front of hundreds, simply for asking a question about meritocracy?
What about the recent, highly disturbing controversy surrounding the 2025 planning guidelines for non-Muslim houses of worship in Selangor, which reportedly contained several restrictions?
Was it PAS that approved it?
Let's face it, the Selangor state executive council (Exco) is overwhelmingly made up of representatives from DAP, PKR, and Amanah. Yet, it seems that only a handful initially bothered to stand up and demand basic respect for the freedom of faith—a right guaranteed by the Federal Constitution—before public outrage finally forced the state government to put the guidelines on hold.
Many of the coalition’s loyal supporters will also be compelled to ask another uncomfortable question: Where was PH when certain elements in UMNO Youth mocked and bullied minorities over socks, shoes, and even sandwiches?
Apart from the familiar few who gallantly spoke out against all that hate speech, where was the rest of the PH leadership?
In fact, PH has even fluffed some of the simplest pledges it made in its own election manifesto. What happened to the promise that the Prime Minister would not simultaneously hold the Finance portfolio?
What about the long-promised justice for Teoh Beng Hock, Pastor Raymond Koh, and others? True, some government leaders have humbly sought forgiveness—but can an apology alone fully atone for the loss of a precious life?
And also, what about some of the high-profile graft and money laundering cases involving millions, which suddenly saw the charges dropped, granted conditional discharges or DNAAs?
While the small ikan bilis often gets caught in the net—the big sharks somehow get off the hook?
To many, Pakatan Harapan holds a moral duty to protect those non-Malays and moderate Bumiputeras who have pinned their hopes on the coalition and had even cleared the path for it to claim Putrajaya. Instead, these very same long-suffering ones are now left to feel abandoned and heartbroken, as the coalition is perceived to be desperately chasing a demographic that has time and again rejected its overtures.
Lastly, while some conservative factions are baying for their privileges to be given absolute priority, non-Malays are merely asking that their mother tongue, culture, and places of worship won't gradually vanish from the face of this nation.
In closing, the popular PKR MP graciously admitted that there have been past administrative missteps, only to cryptically warn that staying home on polling day may result in the coalition's supporters having to face a "darker” future.
The harsh truth is, for many non-Malays, dark clouds of uncertainty have always hovered over them. What they are pining for is just a ray of hope to guarantee that they and their children still have a bright future in this country, just like everyone else.
Main information source: Malaysiakini, CNA, Focus Malaysia and Vibes.
JK Joseph (jtkingsworld@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.