POINTING fingers and blaming others are among the reasons why Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional (PN) failed to stand out in Malacca, said deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu.

The Tambun MP said, in the initial stages, they were confident that the party would win the Malacca state election due to the people’s acceptance of party president Muhyiddin Yassin, but the results showed otherwise.

“There were too many ‘blame games’ in Malacca and there were too many ‘pointing fingers’, but we weren’t looking at our own contributions. We are less ‘do-it-yourself’ in our movement. We like to see people do work so that it’s easy for us to blame them if things don’t happen.

“We always have fun with our own group. Even in Malacca, we gathered among ourselves but didn’t go down to approach the voters.

“Not everyone, but I know who is really doing the work. There are still many who practice the old political way. Our ‘engagement’ is lacking.

“I want to be honest; in the early stages, I and many of my fellow leaders could smell the ‘air of victory’, the acceptance of the people and the voters to ‘Abah’ (Muhyiddin Yassin). I describe it as extraordinary. We could feel the ‘positive acceptance’ of the people,” Faizal said while delivering the opening speech of the Armada and Srikandi Bersatu wings at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre, Kuala Lumpur, this morning.

The Youth and Sports Minister said another weakness that contributed to the party’s dismal performance was that party members were still set in the old practice of interacting only among themselves instead of engaging the voters.

“We didn’t go down to the grassroots. We preferred to act like VIPs,” he said.

The party managed two seats in the 28-seat state assembly.

He said the results was something the party could build on as it showed there was support on the ground for Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional.

“If anything, our machinery and outreach must be strengthened. The polls had also actually opened the eyes of the people and voters that PN is serious and determined to lead the country,” he added. – December 18, 2021.