By Amar Shah Mohsen
WHEN Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim assumed prime ministership on November 24, 2022, the Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) chairman made it his primary mission to address the soaring cost of living in the country, recognising its impact on the people.
It is the government’s priority, he said, to tackle what was “suppressing and gripping” the lives of Malaysians. However, more than seven months into his tenure, the cost of living, as with the value of the ringgit, remains a hot-button topic for many. While efforts have been implemented to resolve it, rumblings of discontent are still reverberating.
With the state elections drawing near — polling for Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah has been set for August 12 — questions are being asked if this could ultimately determine the outcome.
Perikatan Nasional (PN) has even declared that economic concerns affecting the rakyat will be its focus during the campaign period, knowing fully well that this issue resonates closely with the public.
Observers, however, are not entirely convinced that bread and butter-issues will shape the election results. The general consensus is that, while it may have an influence, it will not be enough to alter the polls’ outcome, and that Harapan is likely to defend its three states.
Improved quality of life
Political analyst Prof Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said while concerns have been raised over the falling ringgit and high cost of living, the overall quality of life for Malaysians has improved, owing largely to initiatives like Payung Rahmah and the People’s Income Initiative (IPR).
Commendable economic policies, like the move away from blanket subsidies to target instead lower-income households, have also aided underprivileged groups, he noted.
“In this context, we can say that people’s lives have improved. There are no major cases of starvation, and the prices of essential goods like eggs, chicken and vegetables have stabilised,” he told Selangor Journal.
“For PN, it is expected that they will play up on the issue of living cost, but I believe voters are rational. If their lives have improved, then that’s a good sign.”
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari himself said it is erroneous for the opposition to describe the nation’s economic performance as a failure and use it as a point of reference, in a desperate bid to secure political brownie points.
This is mainly considering that the Federal government has been in power less than a year and yet has been able to put the economy back on track.
The Selangor Harapan chairman, in a press conference on July 7, pointed out that the government has stabilised the prices of basic goods and ensured their sufficient supply. In Selangor, the state’s Jualan Ehsan Rakyat, which offers necessities below market price, has served as a key intervention to assist the people.
Opposition out of ideas?
Azizuddin said those in Harapan-held states, in particular, would recognise and appreciate the contributions made by their respective state administrations that assisted the rakyat during trying times. As a result, he believes it is unlikely there will be an electoral tsunami against the governments of Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan.
If anything, Azizuddin said, only a minor swing of support can be expected in the states comprising more Malay constituents, chiefly influenced by racial and religious rhetoric accentuated by PN leaders.
As for PN, the Universiti Utara Malaysia senior lecturer said rather than merely training its guns on the Harapan government over the cost of living issue, the political outfit ought to present its own policy ideas.
“They need to show what they can offer. Selangor, for example, has recently presented its economic performance report, but we have not seen any from Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
“They may claim that their focus during campaigning will be on the economy, but my suspicion is that nearing polling day, they will desperately play up sentiments on race, religion and royalty, like in the 15th general election.”
Malay-majority seats key
Universiti Tun Abdul Razak academician Prof Dr Barjoyai Bardai believes a considerable number of constituents in Harapan states, made up largely of ‘disappointed’ voters, could be tempted to switch their support in protest of the high cost of living.
Chiefly, he said a shift can be expected in the Malay heartlands of Selangor and Penang.
“These are voters who harbour high hopes that the cost of living would improve under the new Federal government but are now fed up. As an alternative, they may vote for the opposition. I would say the Malay majority seats will be the key,” he said when contacted.
However, Barjoyai agreed that it would take more than just protest votes over rising costs to see a collapse of the Harapan administration and that other more crucial factors would come into play.
“Yes, I believe it (living cost) will be a factor in the polls. The question is, will it be enough to cause a change of administration in Harapan states? I think not.”
Barjoyai said there will be greater clarity on voting patterns closer to the polling day, once the respective parties release their manifestos and hit the campaign trail.
A public relations disconnect
Commenting on the initiatives rolled out by Anwar’s administration to date, Barjoyai said these deserve credit, but took issue with the government’s strategic communications.
He opined that more needs to be done to better deliver messages to the ground, notably on efforts to assist the rakyat and the challenges that the government currently faces, as well as to counter false narratives and allegations.
“I commend the government for programmes like Menu Rahmah, Jualan Rahmah and IPR, but exactly how many people have taken full advantage of these? To me, that is the current government’s biggest weakness — communications.”
Azizuddin concurred that there appears to be a problem with the Federal government’s communications system and that if unresolved, could pose a major problem that can be capitalised by the opposition.
“People often believe what’s on social media, and may be fed with false information. The issue is that proper communications do not reach the ground.
“Like it or not, I feel the government needs to make full use of the media like RTM to deliver their messages better.”
This article first appeared in the Selangor Journal monthly July 2023 edition, published on July 8, 2023.
