PH indirectly benefited from identity politics too, says Kian Ming

 Former Bangi MP says PH previously appealed to non-Malay voters to unite, much like BN and PN have been urging the Malays to rally behind them.

Ex-DAP MP Ong Kian Ming asked why PH did not field local councillors and Malay village chiefs as candidates in the Negeri Sembilan election. (Keluar Sekejap pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Former Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming said Pakatan Harapan (PH) had also benefited from racial narratives in previous elections, making it unfair to attribute its defeat in the Negeri Sembilan polls solely to its rivals’ use of identity politics.

Speaking on the Keluar Sekejap podcast, Ong said PH previously appealed to non-Malay voters to unite, much like Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) had been urging the Malays to rally behind them.

“When I listened to PH’s post-election press conference, the message conveyed by Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari and (Amanah communications director) Khalid Samad was that they lost because of racial narratives (used by rivals) during the Negeri Sembilan election.

“It works both ways. In the past, PH may also have benefited, albeit indirectly, from calls for non-Malay voters to unite in order to gain greater political power.

“But now, with the consolidation of the Malay parties and Malay voters behind BN and PN, that narrative has begun to shift somewhat,” he said.

Former minister Khairy Jamaluddin, a co-host of the podcast, agreed, saying PH previously used “coded references” to the “green wave” as a dog whistle to encourage Chinese voters to unite behind the coalition.

“The message was similar to what BN and PN candidates are now saying about Malay unity to safeguard Malay interests.

“Of course, in both cases, nobody explicitly said it was at the expense of others. That was never stated. And to be fair, PH never said that either. But the underlying message was the same,” he said.

Khairy also rejected claims that BN’s campaign lacked policy substance, saying the speeches he delivered and events he attended covered issues such as local councils, assessment rates, jobs and foreign direct investment, although these received less attention.

Former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan, the other co-host of the podcast, said identity politics had long been part of Malaysia’s political landscape and should not have surprised PH.

He said if PH did not support identity politics, then its job was to offer a better narrative that convinced Malays to vote based on its performance and its fulfilment of reform promises.

“But if it fails to convince voters with that narrative, it cannot suddenly act surprised that identity politics remains part of what motivates people to vote,” he said.

Missed opportunity with local leaders

Ong also asked why PH did not field local councillors and Malay village chiefs as candidates in the Negeri Sembilan election.

He gave the example of PH’s Perling candidate in Johor, B Pannir Selvam, whom he said had built a strong track record of working with the people, especially the Malay community.

“But I didn’t see even one or two candidates from among those local councillors emerging as strong PKR or Amanah candidates. That could have created an opportunity to attract Malay voters based on their track record as local councillors in their respective areas.

“So I think that’s also somewhat puzzling, especially as PH had been in the state government for two terms,” Ong said. - FMT