Successes count, but a strong narrative gets the votes

 Political analyst Syaza Shukri says Pakatan Harapan needs a narrative to convince the Malays that its policies are good for them.

Former Klang MP Charles Santiago warned that PH’s strategy of portraying PAS as a religious bogeyman to consolidate non-Malay support is losing its effectiveness.

PETALING JAYA:

Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) problem is not that it lacks achievements in government, but that it has failed to translate them into a compelling political narrative, says an analyst.

Syaza Shukri.

Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia said PH has struggled to show sceptical voters, particularly Malays, how its policies have benefited them.

“They have a lot to show, but unfortunately, the narrative that it is good for all Malaysians is not that effective for the Malays,” she told FMT.

She said this is compounded by the fact that Barisan Nasional (BN), PH’s partner in the unity government, is delivering a different message.

“While PH talks about reform, BN-Umno continues to talk about race or communal issues and (that) diverts (the) attention (of the Malays),” she added.

Syaza’s comments come on the heels of former Klang MP Charles Santiago’s warning that portraying PAS as a religious bogeyman to consolidate non-Malay support was becoming less effective as evident in PH’s poor showing in the Johor state election.

“Fear is no longer a sufficient substitute for governance, reform and delivery,” he said.

In the run-up to the Johor polls, PH candidates and leaders had alluded to the “dangers” of PAS coming to power. In response, the Islamic party’s deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man claimed such fearmongering signified that the coalition was unsettled.

PH built its reputation on the Reformasi movement, but its reform agenda has struggled to regain momentum since its first administration collapsed in 2020.

Under the current administration, reforms such as the Parliamentary Services Act and the Malaysian Media Council Act have been introduced, alongside measures such as targeted fuel subsidies, although key promises like separating the attorney-general and public prosecutor’s roles have yet to be fulfilled.

Syaza also pointed out that the continued emphasis on the threat posed by PAS was more a reflection of the priorities of only certain elements within the DAP rather than PH as a whole.

“Talking about reforms has not worked within this unity government,” she said.

Oh Ei Sun.

Oh Ei Sun of the Pacific Research Center of Malaysia said governing has cost PH the anti-establishment appeal that once energised its base, leaving it caught between courting unconvinced Malay voters and risking its traditional non-Malay support.

“It tries too hard to satisfy the demands of Malay voters who remain unconvinced by it, and at the same time it loses its non-Malay core.

“PH thought they could scare their non-Malay supporters into continuing to support them, but these erstwhile supporters now see the coalition as becoming much like the feared PAS,” he said.

The staying power of fear politics

Syaza said the tactic has likely reached a saturation point among non-Malay voters, many of whom she described as resigned to the reality of navigating Islam and Malay-centric politics in Malaysia.

Among Malay voters, she said, identity-based appeals remained influential because concerns over preserving their political position continued to resonate.

However, Oh maintained that fear-based narratives remained an important electoral consideration.

Though he said such messaging would only work if political parties could convince voters they were capable of addressing the risks they highlighted. - FMT