PAKATAN Harapan will require at least 10 more years or two general elections to return to government, Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar has told Malay-language daily Sinar Harian.

The former PKR vice-president predicted that PH would struggle in the coming general election, losing numerous parliamentary and state seats.

Nurul Izzah, like her PH colleague Rafizi Ramli, said PH needed to become an opposition group “with dignity” and offer voters something different but more practical than it did in 2018.

“I feel that it won’t be easy for PH to win in the coming general election and we have to be prepared to lose two further elections before the people can accept us again.

“I’m being very realistic because, to me, it will take time for our ‘product differentiation’ to succeed.

“The people and, even myself, are still traumatised over what happened when PH was in government for 22 months,” she said.

Meanwhile, Rafizi, who is standing for PKR vice-president, had advised PH to be realistic about its chances in the next election, saying it would be better to remain in opposition “with dignity” than to brag about its chances of winning.

Nurul Izzah insisted that there will be no quick fixes for PH to rebuild public trust, noting the coalition’s inability to deliver on its 2018 manifesto promises as a crucial factor.

Despite its huge victories in the Malacca and Johor elections, the daughter of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim warned Barisan Nasional against overconfidence in the next national poll.

She said Covid-19 restrictions had eased, allowing voters to turn out in droves on election day, unlike recent state elections where turnout was low. – April 14, 2022.