A LACK of effective communications and low public awareness is why many Malaysians do not support certain reforms by the Pakatan Harapan government, such as abolishing the death penalty and lowering the voting age, said academics and civil society leaders.

PH should also have the moral courage to do the right thing instead of just caving in to pressure from Malay nationalists and conservative Islamists, they said.

But the despite the setback PH has suffered in its first year, they are confident that the government can regain its popularity and carry through these reforms as the administration still has four more years.

What is important is that PH fixes the economy to garner support from the Malay working class so that their frustrations are not easily exploited by racialists and religious fundamentalists to derail the administration’s reforms.

In its turbulent first year in office, the PH administration has had to backtrack on key human rights promises, such as ratifying a world treaty against racial discrimination and another that would make the nation a member of the international criminal court.

A survey by pollster Merdeka Centre in March showed that 69% of respondents did not want to abolish the mandatory death penalty while 50% disagreed that the voting age should be lowered to 18.

Despite winning federal power on a set of promises to reform the country’s institutions and sputtering economy, the administration has seen its popularity plunge from 66% in August to 39% in March.

“This is the first time Malaysians are going through a massive change in government,” said academic and former senator Syed Husin Ali on the administration’s popularity plunge.

“But I believe this will change once things improve in the country. We have to give the government time. Even I’m not happy with certain leaders,” said former deputy president of PKR, a component party of PH.

Human rights lawyer Lim Wei Jiet said the government lacks a good communications strategy to explain the rationale behind policies that can be controversial.

“Like lowering the voting age and ending the death penalty. You need to effectively educate people before you decide to table a bill or make a decision,” said the deputy chairman of the Bar Council’s constitutional law committee.

“If you do not communicate effectively you will get the kinds of reactions you received for ICERD and Rome Statute. You need to communicate effectively.”

PH’s attempts to sign on to the International Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Racial discrimination (ICERD) and the Rome Statute were derailed when Malay nationalists and religious fundamentalists hyped up imagined fears these policies will erode the special position of Malays and Islam.

Time will improve things

Another lawyer and human rights activist Prof Gurdial Singh Nijar said the administration should have enacted these reforms even in the face of protests from racist opposition parties and their allies.

“The government has to act regardless of popular feeling, because you have to do the right thing,” said Gurdial, who is president of human rights group Hakam.

Contentious policies should also be debated and explained in Parliament where the laws to implement them can be amended, he said.

Despite their setbacks and the challenges of pushing through these reforms, G25 head Noor Farida Ariffin commended the government for consulting stakeholders, such as civil society groups, before implementing its policies.

“The government should consult widely and the majority opinion should prevail because this is a democracy,” said Farida.

Gurdial and Syed Husin believed that the administration can overcome its plunge in support before its first term is up.

Merdeka Centre’s survey indicates that this is a real possibility as 67% of respondents believed that the government must be given more time to implement its policies.

“The government is nine to 10 months old and many have never been in a position of authority, except one or two people. So they have to build up consensus and support. They’ve got more than four years, still a long time,” said Gurdial.

Syed Husin is confident that PH’s popularity will return once it improves the economy of ordinary folk, especially Malays.

“The anxiety is about the slowing economy, the high cost of goods. But I believe if we give the government time and their performance improves, the popularity will go up again.” – April 29, 2019.