THE government’s weak communication with the public ahead of the six state elections were among the reasons Perikatan Nasional (PN) had a better outing, said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

He said this at a dialogue session at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor, today, where a student suggested Putrajaya’s “weak communication machinery” was why it lost ground to PN at the recent polls.

The student said the government was criticised and slandered by various parties daily, particularly on social media.

He said the situation hindered the government’s ability to effectively communicate its messages to the public.

The student said the “ineffectiveness” of multiple ministries and government agencies underscored the need for reforms in how the government disseminates information.

He suggested a “strong media unit” was necessary for the government.

The prime minister responded by thanking the student for his views.

“I would like to thank Syed Ali (the student).

“It’s true. There have been weaknesses in our communications. I admit it,” Anwar said.

Noting the various accusations that had been hurled at him by his political opponents, Anwar called on youth present at the dialogue to do their parts in spreading accurate information.

“It’s your role (too), not just mine. You should call upon your friends to explain what’s right and defend what’s true,” said Anwar.

The recent polls resulted in a status quo, where the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) coalition managed to retain Selangor, Penang and Negri Sembilan, while PN kept Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah.

PN gained massive support in Malay-dominant constituencies in the state polls and the November general election.

The coalition won 74 parliamentary seats in its maiden general election outing and made major inroads in Selangor in last month’s state polls, denying PH-BN a two-thirds’ majority in the state.

Pakatan faces two by-elections in Johor on September 9 – for the Pulai parliamentary and Simpang Jeram state seats. It once again faces PN in the polls. – September 3, 2023.