Anwar Must Innovate For Pkr To Win In Rantau

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When the Rantau by-election campaign intensifies, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim is expected to go all out to ensure a Pakatan Harapan win

A win for PKR candidate Dr S Streram in Rantau will reflect public backing for Anwar, prove his credentials as party chief and further clear the path for his promised rise to the position of prime minister
Despite growing discontent among the Malays over the Harapan government, can Anwar prove that he still has clout among the Malays and show that his party can win the seat
The burden is placed on Anwar to ‘think outside the box’ for PKR to win the Rantau by-election. Harapan can’t afford to lose again. If it loses, it will be Harapan’s third consecutive loss after GE14
Understandably, it is an uphill battle for Harapan for the Malay minds in Rantau, as the political atmosphere is totally different following the recent political marriage between Umno and PAS
Both parties are currently undertaking unconditional political cooperation, especially for by-elections in the interest of uniting Muslims and Malays. This serves a major blow to the 10-month-old Harapan government
The Umno-PAS unity is a strong message to Malay voters to put their differences aside and come together as one
A large section of the Malay community is not happy with the Harapan administration, as they believe non-Muslims are in control of Putrajaya. A significant swing in Malay support against Harapan was seen in the Cameron Highlands and Semenyih by-elections
Anwar and Harapan should move into top gear by fulfilling the promise of good governance and focusing on bread-and-butter economic issues affecting the masses
He has to understand the needs and problems of the local community, focus on jobs, education, household income, housing issues, and address the growing needs of the people
Show ability to govern wellTo convince voters, Harapan must also demonstrate its ability to govern well and show proof that it can manage the nation’s wealth better than the previous BN government, while not forgetting about fulfilling its electoral promises
These are the issues Harapan has to impart to the people as it embarks on a new Malaysia
Rantau, a suburban seat just a 25-minute drive from Seremban, is considered backwards and forgotten in development despite its short distance from Seremban and Senawang
It is a sleepy town with no factories and little job opportunities for the younger generation
Acting Umno president Mohamad Hasan has held the Rantau state seat since 2004. Surprisingly, there is no fire-and-rescue station in the town for many years. It was only recently built and expected to be operational soon
There are problems with telecommunication lines in several spots in the area, with poor public transport being the other serious issue
Rantau has 20,926 voters, some 27 percent of whom are Indians and 19 percent are Chinese. Malay voters make up 54 percent of Rantau’s registered voters
The Rantau by-election will be held on April 13, with nomination on March 30 and early voting on April 9.
Harapan cannot afford to lose this fight. It will not bode well for the ruling coalition if it fails to wrest the seat from Umno. This is the crucial time for Harapan to win the people’s hearts
M VIVEK served as an aide to several former MIC deputy ministers. - Mkini

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