PAKATAN Harapan must rethink its approach to Malays so that they are more comfortable with the ruling coalition, said analysts.

“Malays didn’t vote for Pakatan as they see the federal government as being unstable and unable to look after their interests,” Prof Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi told The Malaysian Insight.

“The poor handling of the ICERD and Seafield temple issues, plus the lower budget allocations to rural Malays, has disappointed the rural Malays,” said the Universiti Malaya Malay Studies Faculty deputy director.

He was referring to the Malay-driven backlash to Putrajaya’s plan to ratify the United Nation’s convention against racial discrimination, and the riots at a Hindu temple in November that saw a Malay firefighter killed.

But Awang Azman cautioned PH against panic and getting into a race with Barisan Nasional, which has partnered PAS, on exploiting Malay-Muslim issues.

“The government just needs to re-orientate their approach towards Malays by looking at the policies that affect them and make fewer flip-flop decisions,” Awang Azman, who is also part of UM’s Centre for Democracy and Elections (UMCedel).

“Pakatan doesn’t need to get into a Malay-Islam race against BN.”

Yesterday, PH lost its first by-election since GE14 in Cameron Highlands. 

PH’s three-time Cameron Highlands hopeful and former Teluk Intan MP M. Manogaran lost to BN’s rookie challenger Ramli Mohd Nor by a large margin. 

Although, Cameron Highlands is considered a traditional BN seat, PH was unable to make much inroads into the Jelai area, which comprised 64% Malays and 34% Orang Asli.

In the course of the campaign, Felda voters told The Malaysian Insight that economic, race and religious issues top their list of concerns.

Ilham Centre director Azlan Zainal said the Umno-PAS collaboration has worked for BN, where supporters of the Islamist party are now comfortable voting for their erstwhile nemesis. 

“PH’s Malay votes are very fragile now and this result will help Umno justify why it needs to continue working with PAS. 

“The use of Malay-Muslim rhetoric by Umno-PAS will place more pressure on PH if it wants to attract more support from Malay voters,” said Azlan.

He said the battle of the support bases between DAP (non-Malay support) and Umno-PAS (Malay support) will continue.

“Fence-sitters will begin to show their protest against PH, especially the younger voters … due to economic, job and cost of living issues.” 

Azlan said BN bagged early and Felda voters due to Pakatan’s failure to handle issues concerning race and cost of living.

“If this continues, Pakatan will be vulnerable,” said the pollster.

Institut Darul Ehsan’s Khairul Ariffin said Malay parties in PH have to step up to reassure Malay voters.

He said while PH has embarked on some institutional reforms, such initiatives are not fully appreciated by rural Malays and will take time to sink in. 

“Their top concerns are still economic issues,” said the research manager.

Voters are also no longer impressed by Najib Razak’s wrongdoings as they are more concerned about the government’s performance after defeating BN, said Azlan.

“Issues such as kleptocracy, corruption and 1MDB, which worked for PH during the elections, are now replaced by unfulfilled manifesto promises, such as abolishing tolls, PTPTN loans, commodity prices and race and religious issues.

“It is time for the government to perform,” he added. – January 27, 2019.