PAKATAN Harapan’s (PH) first ceramah on its nationwide roadshow on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MBD) scandal shows just how hard it is to make the issue connect with rural Malays.

Its experience in Penaga, Penang and also events occurring hundreds of km away in Selangor, will determine whether the roadshow will meet its aim – to make 1MBD the defining issue of the 14th general election.

For starters, PH had to deal with attempts to sabotage the talk when banners and party flags hyping it up were torn down the night before it was scheduled to be held at the Penaga community hall.

Organisers believe this was one reason why the event only managed to pull in about 200 people to the community hall of the fishing hamlet which is an Umno stronghold in the Kepala Batas parliamentary seat.

Most of the crowd were also activists and supporters from the opposition coalition’s four parties, DAP, PKR, Bersatu and Amanah. It is unclear how many were the undecided rural Malay voters who are the ceramah’s target group.

But what PH did have going for it is the talk itself. Petaling Jaya Utara Tony Pua’s slideshow on 1MDB was lapped up by listeners, who said it was effective in explaining the intricacies of the six-year scandal.

Whereas PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail delivered a critical message of how Umno and the Najib administration is using religion to divert attention from the Prime Minister Najib Razak’s ties to the scandal.

Its organisers hope that the roadshow will generate enough anger and momentum all over the country and culminate in a rally in September.

In doing so it hopes to replicate the energy and mood in the months before the 2013 general election, where massive Opposition rallies and ceramah helped it win 52% of the popular vote.

The converted

The choice of Penaga was an important one said Pua, a longtime campaigner against 1MDB and one of the roadshow’s chief movers.

“If we could not be successful in an Umno stronghold but in a state where we are influential, then it would be pointless to start it at all,” said Pua.

The roadshow’s next stop is Sungai Aceh, Nibong Tebal, another Umno stronghold in PH-ruled Penang.

During The Malaysian Insight’s visit to Penaga on the eve of the talk, most villagers said they did not know of the event as there were no banners announcing it.

Many of the 200 who attended appeared to know about the event in advance and had travelled from Penang island, Permatang Pauh and even Sungai Petani, Kedah.

Pua does not see this as a problem as the roadshow also aims to train PH supporters to better communicate the scandal to voters.

“It’s these people that we need to work the ground anyway. We need to excite them again and build confidence that change can happen.”

Shazni Munir Mohd Ithnin of Amanah is one such activist who is excited over the roadshow.

“All PH grassroots activists are working together well so when PH said they are going to focus on a 1MDB roadshow, it is a political move that we have all been waiting for,” said Shazni Munir, who is based in Johor.

Long awaited campaign

The roadshow would also unite demoralised activists and supporters for a common cause and against a common enemy after months of watching their leaders bicker openly.

PH leaders are openly arguing over their leadership structure, and whether or not to name a prime minister-designate.

Selangor Menteri Besar and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali is also feuding with others in his own party and those in DAP and Amanah over his continued attempts to forge an electoral pact with Islamist party PAS.

PAS has officially ended ties with PKR and considers DAP and PAS splinter party Amanah as enemies.

Political analyst Hisomuddin Bakar said this acrimony can derail efforts to mount a successful roadshow.

“When you go down to hold ceramah you need the local activists to help you organise and publicise it. You can’t do this if you’re fighting each other,” said Hisomuddin, who is executive director of the Ilham Centre.

“You also need a solid, unified leadership who you can put on the ceramah stage to show that you are solid team and to bring the roadshow’s energy to the next level.”

The unity in the run-up to the 2013 general election, where PAS, PKR and DAP formed a solid Pakatan Rakyat coalition, was one big reason was why the opposition did so well then, said Hisomuddin.

So even if PH has found an effective way to explain 1MDB to the rural masses and even if the issue is the most critical the country faces, its seriousness could still be undone by PH itself.

Voters may be convinced by how bad 1MDB is, but they will remain unconvinced that PH can resolve it if its parties can’t even work together. – July 8, 2017.