Harapan must build a narrative, walk the talk

 

ADUN SPEAKS | Yesterday’s election results in Negeri Sembilan are an unmistakable wake-up call.

Coming on the heels of earlier setbacks in Sabah and Johor, the message from the electorate is loud and clear: Pakatan Harapan is losing ground because we are losing the battle of narratives.

Look at our opponents. Both Perikatan Nasional and BN operate on a simple, crystal-clear - albeit terrible and deeply divisive - narrative: Malay unity.

It is crude political arithmetic, but voters easily understand it.

What is Harapan’s narrative in response? Right now, we have none. We offer voters no compelling reason to choose us beyond merely existing in office.

For DAP, holding roughly 20 percent of parliamentary seats means we are a vital partner in government, but not the sole decision-maker.

We must evolve into a mature party of governance - without diluting our soul.

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READ MORE: BN-PN 'Malay unity' wave coming, and Harapan is in danger

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Crucially, we must define a clear purpose of existence. Why should ordinary Malaysians want us in government beyond a lazy “we are better than them” mantra?

We must do this while holding unyieldingly to non-negotiables: zero tolerance for corruption and total administrative transparency.

Social democratic vision

It also means being transparent about a "Malaysian Malaysia" - upholding the Federal Constitution while being entirely upfront and honest about the socio-economic and racial formula we offer.

Beyond identity politics, we must anchor our purpose in a bold, 20-year social democratic vision. We should lead the fight on:

• Fixing our collapsing public healthcare system,

• Tackling low wages and crippling retirement gaps,

• Accelerating the clean energy transition, and

• Modernising education for a competitive future.

A narrative, however, is useless if it remains trapped in press releases.

It is extremely urgent and critical that Harapan defines its core purpose and starts walking the talk immediately in the state and federal governments we still hold.

We must demonstrate the tangible, real-world value of progressive and competent governance right now.

If we fail to offer voters a clear narrative and prove that we can deliver on it before the next general election, our opponents’ divisive message will continue to win by default. - Mkini

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RAJIV RISHYAKARAN is the Bukit Gasing state assemblyperson and Selangor DAP assistant treasurer.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.