NIBONG TEBAL – Putrajaya’s rationalisation of the diesel subsidy and the BlackRock issue have contributed to Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) retention of the Sg Bakap state seat in yesterday’s by-election.
Prof Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid of Universiti Sains Malaysia and Assoc Prof Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said these issues had provoked voter dissatisfaction.
Fauzi highlighted that the sale of 30% of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd to Global Infrastructure Partners, which is being acquired by BlackRock, was challenging for Malay-Muslims to accept.
Mazlan added that the BlackRock issue had led Malay voters to perceive Putrajaya as inconsistent in its support for Palestine.
Furthermore, Mazlan noted that the diesel subsidy rationalisation had angered the B20 and M40 voters, who now faced higher fuel costs, prompting them to vote against the ruling coalition. He also mentioned that Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli’s insensitive joke about removing the subsidy for RON95 petrol had deterred voters from supporting the government.
“You should not take lightly the matter of subsidy removal by joking about it. People were angry,” he told Scoop when contacted.
PN, represented by Abidin Ismail, secured the state seat in Penang with a majority of 4,267 votes over Pakatan Harapan (PH). Abidin garnered 14,489 votes, while PKR’s Joohari Ariffin received 10,222 votes.
Fauzi also said that Rafizi’s attitude had significantly damaged the image of the unity government as a caring administration.
Fauzi asserted that PH’s campaign strategies and its candidate Joohari were not to blame for the poor performance in the poll.
“It is simply that national issues have overshadowed local concerns,” he added.
However, Mazlan disagreed with Fauzi, noting that PH’s outdated campaigning methods, such as emphasising Joohari’s educational credentials while belittling Abidin’s qualifications, were ineffective.
“That approach might have worked in Kuala Kubu Baharu back then, but it is not effective now,” he remarked.
Mazlan also addressed the low Chinese voter turnout of 44%, suggesting that the community was clearly protesting against the government.
Asked how PH could recover from this election loss, Mazlan suggested that the government maintain the subsidy for RON95 petrol and focus on increasing foreign direct investments and the rakyat’s income. – July 7, 2024