True Political Progress Is More Than Winning Votes

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YOURSAY | ‘Madani govt must own its weaknesses and strategise better outreach.’
COMMENT | Madani votes declined sharply at Ayer Kuning
EmEmKay: I fully acknowledge this undeniable trend - voters voiced their frustrations, and the government must reflect seriously on the messages sent at the ballot box.
However, honest discourse also demands that we examine how facts were twisted and leveraged by political opponents, especially regarding the sensitive issue of pig farms in Ayer Kuning.
Let's be clear: the operational status of pig farms is a decades-old, administrative matter, not a sudden imposition under the current government.
Yet, throughout the campaign, Perikatan Nasional repeatedly distorted these facts.
They played up religious sentiments, portraying pig farming as government-endorsed insensitivity toward the Malay-Muslim community.
This is simply not true. The farms existed long before, and there have been regular efforts to address community concerns from all sides.
It’s deeply worrying when religious rhetoric is used to divide communities for political gain.
This approach doesn’t serve the constituents of Ayer Kuning, nor does it foster unity in Malaysia.
Instead, it deflects attention from the real issues - economic revival, infrastructure, and equitable development - which should be the basis of any election campaign.
The Madani government, of course, must own its weaknesses and strategise better outreach.
Still, let’s also insist on integrity from all parties. Playing on fears and faith distorts the democratic process and undermines our country's social fabric.
True political progress demands more than winning votes: it requires principled, fact-based communication.
Let’s hold every leader to that standard - from Ayer Kuning, and beyond.
Mazhilamani: The abhorrence towards the government may be because of its indecisiveness and lack of prompt action when dealing with issues relating to non-Malays.
There were several incidents of late by religious preachers and matters relating to houses of worship, which were poorly handled by the government, especially by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The pig farms issue during the run-up to the Ayer Kuning by-election is another good example.
Did any Malay government representative come to the defence of the pig farmers? Yes, but they only spoke up after the by-election.
This country cannot be healed until a Chinese politician speaks for the Malays and Indians, or a Malay speaks for the Chinese and Indians.
Frankly, the government is sending the wrong message to the young and talented that they are citizens only because they were born to Malaysian parents, but are still treated as second-class citizens.
The government expects loyalty from them, but is the government loyal to its citizens?
To be fair, a good percentage of Malays also don't like what they see. They understand that the division is only widening over the years to a point of no return.
IndigoGoat3056: Politics in Malaysia has not just recently become race-based - it has long been shaped by ethnic lines.
Even though some parties, such as the DAP, claim to be multiracial, in practice, they mainly contest in Chinese-majority constituencies.
Since 1998, the opposition coalitions have only changed names - from Gagasan Rakyat, Barisan Alternatif, Pakatan Rakyat to Pakatan Harapan - but the pattern remains the same: former coalition partners eventually become political enemies.
In the recent Ayer Kuning by-election, many Harapan supporters did not come out to vote, having grown tired of the current political games.
In Kampung Baru Goldstream, for example, about 1,000 voters abstained from voting despite the campaigning efforts of both DAP and MCA.
For the first time, some Chinese voters there voiced that PSM might gain a few votes this time, and even more if they contest again in two years.
This shows that Harapan is following the same formula used by BN, offering no real difference.
This is the perception amongst voters in the Ayer Kuning by-election.
RKR: The cooperation between Harapan and BN is purely a marriage of convenience. Both have differing philosophies.
Harapan parties are supposedly not race-based, meaning their policies are supposed to be based on merit, not race. BN, on the other hand, is a race-based coalition.
Everything they do is based on racial quotas. So the cooperation between Harapan and BN is a very fragile one.
It can change anytime depending on who their respective leaders are. PN is very clear. It serves only the Malay Muslims.
All others are like Christmas lights. You use them when you need them and put them away when the season is over.
For now, Madani is a bitter pill for the non-Malays to swallow. Things don't look good for the non-Malays in the long run.
BlackDeer5241: What matters is the coming general election, not this insignificant by-election.
Hence, forewarned is forearmed, and Harapan better heed the anger of the non-Malay base, especially in marginal seats.
If Anwar continues to treat his non-Malay voter base with disdain and arrogance, he will pull DAP down with him.
The Malay voter base is still with PAS/PN, no matter what pro-Islamic policies and goodies Anwar dishes out at the expense of the non-Malays.
Who do you think will form the next federal government if Sabah and Sarawak are given enough carrots to join them?
Salvage Malaysia: Unfortunately, I doubt I’ll be voting for Harapan in the 16th general election.
Reforms, betrayal, double standards in corruption cases, hounding dissenters who voice out against this government, incompetent party leaders being ministers and many other disappointments have disillusioned many.
Anwar shouldn’t blame voters for asking too much in too short a time. He promised us the sky to get our support.
Harapan’s only saving grace now is not due to how well they are running the country, but due to PN politicians who constantly shoot themselves in the foot.
If no other great political parties come along that can be seen to make real changes, I might as well just sleep through the next general election. - Mkini

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