PH's three election defeats reflect public frustration over stalled reforms, says C4

KUALA LUMPUR 4 Aug — The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center) said Pakatan Harapan's (PH) three consecutive election defeats reflected growing public frustration over the coalition's failure to deliver on key reform promises.

In a statement issued today, the anti-corruption watchdog said the coalition's latest defeat in the Negeri Sembilan state election, following losses in Sabah and Johor, underscored what it described as eroding public confidence in PH's commitment to institutional and anti-corruption reforms.

PH won only 11 of the 36 seats contested in Negeri Sembilan, while the Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional alliance secured a two-thirds majority. The organisation also said Democratic Action Party (DAP) Secretary-General Anthony Loke and former Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun lost their respective seats.

C4 said the result came despite assurances from PH leaders that the reform agenda would be accelerated after the coalition's defeat in Sabah earlier this year.

Referring to Loke's pledge in February that DAP would work to accelerate reforms within six months, the organisation questioned whether that commitment had translated into concrete action.

"Six months have come and gone, but where are the reforms?" C4 said.

Reform is not just a slogan

The organisation urged the PH leadership to stop treating reform as an election slogan and instead fulfil key commitments before the end of the government's term.

Among the reforms it said remained unimplemented were the establishment of a Federal Ombudsman, the enactment of a Political Financing Act, the removal of executive influence over the appointment of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner, and the introduction of a mandatory asset declaration framework.

C4 also argued that several reform laws already passed by Parliament, including the Government Procurement Act 2026, the Parliamentary Services Act 2025 and amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010, had yet to deliver meaningful institutional change.

The organisation further said proposed legislation to separate the roles of the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor, as well as the Freedom of Information Bill, had required substantial revisions following criticism from lawmakers, civil society organisations and the public.

C4 said declining support for PH had also been influenced by governance-related issues, appointments to public office and controversies involving several individuals in the current administration that had received public attention.

Corporate Mafia allegations

The organisation also referred to allegations reported by Bloomberg concerning a purported "corporate mafia" linked to the MACC, saying the claims had undermined public confidence in the country's anti-corruption institutions.

C4 argued that PH's electoral setbacks stemmed from the coalition's failure to prioritise institutional reforms over political expediency.

With the 16th General Election approaching, the organisation said any further delay in implementing promised reforms would continue to erode public confidence in PH.

It added that the outcomes of the three state elections should serve as a warning to all political parties that Malaysians would not tolerate broken promises or governments perceived to have compromised institutional integrity and anti-corruption efforts. - DagangNews.com