KUCHING: People are tired of being deceived by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government which has not fulfilled its election manifesto promises.
That is why the voters decided to kick out PH candidates three times in a row in three consecutive by-elections, said a political analyst from Universiti of Malaya Associate Professor Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi.
After losing in the Cameron Highlands and Semenyih by-elections previously, PH again lost in the Rantau by-election on Saturday.
According to Dr Awang Azman, the performance of PH in 10 months is still questionable and considered to be not satisfactory to the people.
He said the prices of goods and service tax were still high although the Goods and Services Tax (GST) had been abolished.
“The PTPTN loans have not been deferred and youth employment opportunities are still limited, despite the manifesto to provide one million quality jobs to Malaysian citizens.
“The government flip flops are also disappointing. These include the withdrawal from the Rome Statue, the continuation of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) which was said to be wasteful and the quiet implementation of the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English although it was rejected by the people,” he told New Sarawak Tribune.
Dr Awang Azman added budget cuts and cuts in the development expenditure had made lives increasingly difficult for the rural people.
“This has angered the people and they showed their protest to the PH government in the three by-elections,” he said, adding that often the decisions made without discussions with the relevant parties. For example, the Rome Statute issue were not discussed with the royal council.
“Similarly, the development budget cuts were made, without giving sufficient explanations,” said Dr Awang Azman.
He noted that PAS and Umno cooperation had so far managed to increase the number of BN votes and that MCA and MIC had begun to cooperate with the BN to ensure that their mutual enemy was defeated.
Meanwhile Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said PH’s losses in three consecutive by-elections reflected the people’s unhappiness.
He said the people were beginning to see all the promises, pledges, good governance of PH before the last GE14 as just lies.
“Now, the people are throwing the bat back at PH,” he said, adding that this would also be reflected in the next Sarawak state election.
“The “fighters” that we see in Chong Chong Chieng Jen (Domestic Trade and Conaumer Affairs Minister), Baru Bian (Works Minister) and Kelvin Yii (Padungan MP) are slowly beginning to dwindle.
Karim added Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) would not rest on its laurels.
“We have the added task of explaining to the people about GPS. They know only BN before this and it will take a while for them to digest a new outfit,” said the minister.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing said Barisan Nasional’s victory in the just-concluded Rantau by-election was a reflection of Malaysians’ discontent with broken promises and blame game by the PH government and its inability to move forward.
