With polls nearing, PKR machinery told to launch social media blitz

Penang PKR leaders and grassroots members at the launch of the election machinery at Permatang Pasir, Bukit Mertajam.

BUKIT MERTAJAM: PKR’s election machinery has been told to ramp up social media campaigning for the Penang state election to counter a potential misinformation campaign by Perikatan Nasional.

PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretary, Shamsul Iskandar Akin, want the party apparatus to come up with explanatory videos on what the unity government is doing for the rakyat.

Shamsul proposed posting five explanatory videos a day on social media platforms, especially TikTok, as he said even elderly rural folk are using it.

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Earlier, during the launch of the Penang PKR Youth and Wanita machinery at Permatang Pasir, Nurul Izzah said: “We need to show the hard work of the unity government and Anwar, and it needs to be relayed to the civil servants.

“There is no prime minister like Anwar, who frequently goes down to the ground to meet the rakyat and listen (to them), and ensures that programmes to address poverty, housing and other pressing issues (are available for them).”

She said her father was aware of issues facing mainland Penangites such as traffic congestion, and gave an assurance that Putrajaya was trying to resolve problems such as upgrading expressways in Seberang Perai.

‘Work with your Umno, BN counterparts’

PKR Youth national deputy chief Kamil Munim called on Penang youth members to adapt to the “new political dynamics”, where PKR has Umno and Barisan Nasional as its partners in the unity government.

“We are not contesting in the state election as just the ‘Pakatan Harapan team’, but we will be working with other parties in the federal government such as BN.

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“So, starting today, I call on everyone to reach out to your friends in Umno Youth and BN Youth so that we can work together as a team and solidify our position in every division,” he said.

Wanita PKR deputy chief Juwairiya Zulkifli warned that PKR and PH should not be “comfortable and complacent” after being in power in both Penang and Selangor for three terms since 2008.

The Bukit Melawati assemblyman said although PH won 51 out of 56 state seats in Selangor in the 2018 general election, it lost three federal seats in the state – Kapar, Hulu Selangor and Kuala Langat – to Perikatan Nasional in the last general election.

“What transpired in the recent general election has taught us to be self-reflective on whether we have given our best (to the rakyat), especially the women and youths, during our three terms in power,” she said. - FMT