Not too long ago, Perikatan Nasional (PN) appeared to tap the Malay psyche correctly. With anti-Zahid and anti-DAP sentiments reaching a crescendo, the cauldron of the Malays' soul was at the boiling point. It then exploded, paving the way for the rise of the coalition which was humbled in Melaka and Johor state elections before the GE15.
Pas, a party hitherto confined to the east coast, broke out of the Malay hinterland. It is now the single largest party in the Parliament. Bersatu went from a mosquito party to a serious contender to replace Umno.
But the subsequent election victories in the six state elections, saw no real momentum and follow-ups from PN. The coalition seems relaxed, sleepy, and casual. Aside from small demonstrations by low-level committee leaders, PN seems to be muted against many 'atrocities' that the current government is doing. From stifling media freedom to citizenship amendment, to manipulation of economic facts, the deafening silence is excruciating to see.
What has gone wrong with PN?
PN's main problem is the silence of its leaders. Granted, PN lacks an 'amplifier'- meaning it cannot easily get media coverage, and many of the mainstream media outlets are friendly to the government. Some good debates are on display by PN MPs in the Parliament but have not caught the attention of the newsroom, who are more interested in controversial statements from PN MPs.
But this should not stop PN MPs from being more vocal and visible to the masses.
Indeed, there are many things to say about the abysmal performance and the complacency that engulfed Anwar's government. But PN for the most part, chose to keep quiet. It is rather disturbing to see BN's cybertrooper Lim Sian See and other writers take the government to task over several issues. Take, for example, PMX's statements on Ringgit's strength, and debt reduction, which were incorrect and seem distorted. None of the PN leaders have actually said anything.
From the perspective of media relations and communication, it can generally be said that PN MPs and state reps are not as communicative and media-friendly. Even irrelevant AMK branches have got many press releases discussing current issues, despite the bootlicking nature of these statements. Cheap-shot Facebook posts, as favored by Pas information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, do not count.
The Nenggiri by-election saw the coalition lose to BN who won with a bigger majority. This should be a reality check for the Malay-Muslim coalition. So what reality or realities, need to be checked?
Firstly, the troubled relationship between Pas and Bersatu. The tug-o-war between the two parties when it comes to election candidates, is an open secret. In KKB, the talk is that Pas does not go all out to help Bersatu. In Sungai Bakap, Pas with a stronger grassroots root has no problem in amassing such strength to assist its candidate in winning with a larger majority.
Bersatu has a big ego, but it's Pas who has the real manpower.
In Nenggiri, some have said that Pas supporters do not come out in full force. The 'hybrid' candidate, Mohd Rizwadi Ismail, was a Pas member who then joined Bersatu and contested under the moon logo. What kind of Jedi mind trick that PN was trying to pull?
Next, is the same of song that lingers over how Covid was managed and the political impasse post-GE-15. This is Tan Sri Muhyiddin's favourite soundbite that unfortunately lost its value over time. While Malaysia has done something to curb the COVID-19 fallout under his leadership, people are not that interested in remembering the lockdown era.
Muhyiddin was also harping on the same story about SDs that he managed to collect after GE-15. Again, people have moved on from the story of him not being able to be Prime Minister.
At Nenggiri, a tone-deaf gesture was on full display by Tan Sri Annuar Musa. The outcast Umno leader who joined PN was seen handing out aids to Orang Asli by wearing expensive clothes. Annuar also talked about his sacking from Umno. Like Muhyiddin's soundbite, it fell flat and failed to resonate among voters.
A better selling point should have involved plans from the state government to improve the livelihood of the people, but this was not prioritized. In the end, Umno's politics of development (and some ATMs) won the hearts of voters.
But the saddest part for Bersatu, quite possibly came a few months before Nenggiri, when the party decided that Muhyiddin is here to stay.
The latest by-election should have been an eye-opener for Bersatu: People are comfortable with younger candidates and leaders. If Muhyiddin still helms Bersatu after GE-15, it is safe to say that PMX will still be in charge despite his shortcomings and falling popularity.
Ahmad Mustakim 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!
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