by jem
The die is cast, as the saying goes.
Umno-Barisan Nasional walked away with 43% of the popular vote, with over two-thirds of the seats in the recent Johor state election.
Pakatan Harapan – represented by PKR, DAP and Amanah – collected 26% of the popular vote. PKR only got 6% of the vote despite using its own logo, with seven PKR candidates losing their deposits.
Perikatan Nasional – comprising Bersatu, Pas and Gerakan – contested all 56 seats and bagged 24% of the popular vote.
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As for the others, PH ally Muda received just over 3% of the vote. Pejuang lost all 42 seats it contested – and lost all its deposits too. The same applied to Warisan, which lost the six seats it contested and all its deposits.
Muda did relatively well, winning one seat and not losing any deposits. With all the infighting going on in the opposition parties, this new party could be the political party the country needs.
Yes, Muda’s members are young (that is what muda means, after all) but they seem mature and may be just the party to offer solutions to the people and the country. The party is akin to a fresh breeze that could clear the stale air that the country has been breathing in all this while.
The Sabah-based Warisan leader should not shoot his mouth off so carelessly, either. The party lost in the Sabah state election in 2020 and should not be playing the blame game when it did not win a single seat in Johor.
What did Warisan hope to gain by spreading its wings to the peninsula? What did the party learn from losing in the Johor election? Is a Sabah-based party relevant to the people of Johor? Wouldn’t the party be able to do more for the people in Sabah rather than in the peninsula?
Some parties are blaming their poor performance on the low voter turnout of 55%. That may be a fair assessment, seeing that many registered voters were not really into the election because of the pandemic and with the parties on display not looking very appealing either.
The opposition parties seem to be filled with many selfish leaders, and their continual internal bickering, squabbling and attacks on each other led to their downfall in Johor.
Surprisingly, not many of the young voters turned out to vote. Perhaps it was because, as innovative as they are, they may not put politics at the top of their list of priorities. They may be more concerned about job-hunting and how to support their families in this present crisis.
It is up to the younger generation of politicians who ‘click’ with these young voters to get their attention. Talk and listen to them and figure out how to help them.
Ultimately, Johoreans voted for Umno-BN because there was no viable option for them to choose from. Would people want to vote for the opposition parties which could not agree on which flag or logo to use? Seriously?!
Perhaps the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between PH and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob not to challenge each other has made some people wonder whose side PH is really on.
So what the Amanah president said may have some truth. The opposition parties need to cease their squabbling and regroup if they want to stand a ghost of a chance in the coming general election. They need to put out untainted fresh faces who will appeal to the public.
All those ‘elder politicians’ must take a step back, look at themselves honestly and ask some hard questions about their ability to lead their parties. Are they really relevant to these present times? Can they not see that times have changed and the needs and wants of the parties must meet the people’s needs rather than their own selfish needs?
Most Malaysians are trying to eke out a living in this pandemic. Some are still reeling from the floods last December. Many have to cope with the tough aftermath of the storms. Several have lost their lives and homes in the recent landslide in Ampang Permai.
So, leaders need to have less arrogance in thinking that what they are doing is beneficial for the people. All leaders should realise that, at some point, a little humility goes a long way!
Yes, the sign of the times – it is out there for all who can see. The people are more important than the insignificant needs of their leaders. The people want a change – but if the political leaders cannot or will not change, then we are never moving forward.
Ultimately, we, the people, will have to decide who we want to vote for in the general election. Choose wisely — because if we don’t, we can only blame ourselves.
jem, an Aliran reader, still cares deeply about Sabah, despite having lived in the peninsula for some time
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
May be all Young votes should be encourage to vote for MUDA. It will be long haul for it to be in a position to compete but it must throw out the baggage of the eider parties and Start from a clean Slate.