THE unity government must have at least half of the Malay votes and maintain support among non-Malays if it is to win the next general election, DAP strategist Liew Chin Tong said.

The Iskandar Puteri MP said the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional coalition needs a Bangsa Malaysia discourse as well as an economic agenda that resonates with those who are likely to vote for the unity ticket.

“The government should tap into Malaysians’ desire for a better future for themselves and their children and their aspiration to see greatness in Malaysia,” Liew said in statement today

“They also need to convince half of the Malay voters and the non-Malays that voting for Perikatan Nasional is not a viable option.

“PH-BN needs to articulate a ‘Malaysian nationalism’ that brings together more than half of the Malays and an overwhelming proportion of voters from all other ethnic groups,” said Liew.

Last week, the PH-BN pact won the state elections in Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Penang. However, the coalition had lost the support of Malay voters, resulting in the concession of  many Malay-majority seats to PN.

The pact was wiped out in Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu.

Liew defined “Malaysian nationalism” as having the goal of nation-building, regardless of one’s race or religion.

He said to win the next general election, the unity government has to position itself as a nation-builder, adding that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is in a unique position to assume the role.

“Anwar’s personal story and sufferings in the past 25 years were dramatic and coincided with Malaysia’s decline from a rapidly growing economy in the 1990s to a sluggish one.

“The serendipitous coming together of former arch-rivals PH and BN, together with Sarawak’s GPS and Sabah’s GRS, to form the Unity ticket, is a great story potentially with mythical appeal,” he said.

Pundits as well members of the unity government have urged Anwar to focus on the economy and the wellbeing of the people to counter the PN “green wave”.

They also urged Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to step down following the Malay party’s failure to win Malay voters. – August 16, 2023.