PEOPLE’S expectations of Pakatan Harapan bringing crucial changes in its first 500 days in power are so high that any setback is deemed a major disappointment, said academics and activists.

They said unmet polls promises are even seen by some Malaysians as a betrayal of trust, and this could lead to PH being a single-term government.

Azmil Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) said changes come in fits and starts in a country that saw its first democratic transition last year.

“Even Indonesia, which has been democratising over the past 21 years, is still grappling with the messiness of transitions,” the political scientist told The Malaysian Insight.

“As such, there have been hits and misses in the past 500 days. The most apparent change is the opening up of the democratic space. People seem more free to speak out and protest these days.

“The inclusion of well-known activists in government agencies, such as the Election Commission, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, as well as the Electoral Reform Committee, is also encouraging, giving Malaysians hope that the government can effect genuine reforms.

“That said, some issues remain sensitive and verboten, such as the 3Rs (race, religion and royalty), which one cannot criticise openly without facing repercussions.”

He said the PH government’s weaknesses are mainly its indecisiveness on ethno-religious issues, and its neo-liberal economic policies that do not appear to put the people’s welfare first.

These are interrelated, because at the core of the ethno-religious discontent is the economic insecurity felt by predominantly low-income Malays, he said.

“This is the demography that suffers the brunt of the neo-liberal economic policies, and will shift their support to the Umno-PAS alliance if the PH government continues to ignore their needs.”

Fellow USM academic Por Heong Hong said PH deserves to be commended for appointing more women and qualified people to top positions, such as Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, MACC chief Latheefa Koya and EC chairman Azhar Azizan Harun.

However, she said, female representation is still low, and PH should step up its efforts to achieve the 30% quota.

On the downside, it is obvious that the political right is going all out to turn every issue into a racial one, and yet, the PH government “is utterly poorly prepared to counter racial politicking”, she said.

She said equally worrying is that components of the ruling pact are frequently embroiled in infighting and internal power grabs, showing little sign that they are working on policies for good governance.

Por’s concern is echoed by historian Ariffin Omar.

“The conflicts in PKR have undermined PH’s credibility. The feeling is that leaders are more interested in power and positions rather than the people’s welfare,” he said.

“Neither PKR president Anwar Ibrahim nor his deputy, Mohamed Azmin Ali, has the public’s confidence. Thus, the successor to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whom the majority of Malaysians distrust, is a major problem.”

He said the removal of the Barisan Nasional government must be accepted as a major contribution by PH to help realise the hopes of all Malaysians.

However, the people’s general view of the PH administration’s performance is that of mounting disappointment, he said.

“It is a government that has no clear aims or goals.”

He expressed concern that PH’s election manifesto is “as good as a dead letter, and more so since the PM has stated that its promises cannot be fulfilled as they were made on the belief that PH would not win the elections”.

“The reneging on many promises, such as recognising the Unified Examination Certificate and abolishing tolls, has caused the public to lose confidence and hope in the PH government.

“PH’s foot-dragging when it comes to prosecuting many corrupt BN leaders has made matters worse, coupled with the rising cost of living and depreciation of the ringgit, which have made life difficult for many Malaysians.

“DAP may be the major loser here, as it seems to be morphing more and more into another MCA.”

Independent policy researcher and activist Lim Chee Han said there are a few achievements that PH can claim credit for, but they do not amount to “super breakthroughs”.

He cited the lowering of the voting age to 18, automatic voter registration, separation of the offices of the prime minister and finance minister, downsizing of the Prime Minister’s Department, and returning several agencies back to where they “should belong”.

In the transition period, he said, PH should have focused on its promised reforms, particularly with regard to justice, democracy and liberty.

“Unfortunately, the constant fear of losing power and the possible fate of being a one-term government got the best of them. Of course, the possibility is there, since the fear of losing the Malay vote is heightened after Umno and PAS formally formed an election pact.”

There are old hands in the PH administration who know exactly how to play the game, he said.

He mentioned Professor Terence Gomez, “who has tirelessly pointed out the blatant manipulation… to insert political appointees in federal and state government-linked companies”.

“This shows that they are not seriously committed to rooting out crony capitalism.

“PH, as a political coalition, could face survival issues for the next term, unless they somehow manage to resolve their inter- and intra-party conflicts, as well as withhold the declining support of non-Malays in the peninsula, while expanding their influence and winning more Malay votes.

“Unfortunately for the ‘New Malaysia’, where racism is still prevalent, the strategy for the latter two could be a zero-sum game.”

Lim Hong Siang, executive director of sociocultural research outfit Saudara, feels that PH is trapped in the old issues of identity politics, encompassing ethnicity, religion, language and culture, to the extent that it has failed to realise the “New Malaysia”.

He pointed out the pact’s inefficiency in clearly communicating its discourse of change, saying this is due to a lack of clear direction.

He said it is hoped that PH will be able to implement enough structural changes and institutional reforms so that it will not be easily dismantled even in the case of BN retaking power.

All things considered, USM’s Azmil said he hopes PH leaders will stop acting like they are still in the opposition, and start working hard on governing the country.

“Show the people who voted for PH in the last elections that they made the right choice, and weren’t simply choosing between Tweedledum and Tweedledee.” – September 28, 2019.