Policy changes alone won’t guarantee return of support, PH told

 Analyst Lau Zhe Wei says policy changes may have had a greater political impact if done on a large scale before the Johor and Negeri Sembilan polls.

Analyst James Chin said that implementing reforms earlier could have helped reduce the wave of PH rejection in Negeri Sembilan, although it would not have enabled the coalition to win. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Merely implementing policy changes will not guarantee that Pakatan Harapan (PH) can recoup support as identity politics may still cause the coalition to be shunned by Malay voters, an analyst says.

Lau Zhe Wei.

Lau Zhe Wei of International Islamic University Malaysia said pushing for policy changes now might be “too little, too late” as racial sentiments dominate the political environment.

He said administrative improvements might have had a greater impact on voter support if they had been implemented on a larger scale before the Johor and Negeri Sembilan elections, which PH lost.

He said the political environment had since changed, with policy improvements and implementation unlikely to significantly impact voting trends.

“It may help, but not much. The gap in impact between using ethnic issues and making administrative improvements to win votes is now far too large,” he told FMT.

Azmi Hassan.

Akademi Nusantara’s Azmi Hassan said PH also had to deal with the perception that the unity government was dominated by DAP, and that policy changes alone would not undo this.

He said the perception had already caused the unity government to come under attack, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim repeatedly having to deny that DAP undermines the Malays or that top leaders like him are under the party’s control.

PH’s defeat in the Negeri Sembilan polls on Saturday was the coalition’s third consecutive election loss following the Johor and Sabah polls.

DAP deputy secretary-general Steven Sim subsequently said he would meet Anwar to propose policy changes as PH needed to listen to voters and improve government policies while remaining firm on its principles.

Despite retaining nine of 11 seats contested in Negeri Sembilan, DAP was dealt a massive blow when its secretary-general Loke Siew Fook failed to defend his Chennah seat for a fourth term.

After its Sabah wipeout in November, Loke had said the party would work with Anwar to accelerate reforms over the first half of 2026.

DAP will hold a special congress on Aug 16, where 4,000 delegates will decide whether party leaders should remain in their government posts or resign.

Reforms can’t match Malay unity appeal

Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid.

Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid of Universiti Sains Malaysia said implementing reforms would not help counter the appeal of the Malay unity narrative among Malay voters, adding that identity politics was not merely a cycle in Malaysia but a “baseline”.

“Nearly seven decades after independence, and despite real economic development, communal identity still dominates ballots once part of the electorate feels its position is threatened.

“That’s why solutions based on loan write-offs, more handouts, and higher salaries just won’t work. In reality, governance record has never been sufficient on its own as an election rallying cry,” he said.

James Chin.

Fauzi said the Negeri Sembilan polls were a good example as former menteri besar Aminuddin Harun was held in high regard across the electorate, but still soundly defeated in the Umno stronghold of Linggi due to the Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional pact.

James Chin of the University of Tasmania meanwhile said that implementing reforms earlier could have helped reduce the wave of PH rejection in Negeri Sembilan, although it would not have enabled the coalition to win. - FMT