Don’t play PM Anwar blame game as cover-up for your failures, Hannah Yeoh tells state Opposition candidates
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 — Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh said the current narrative used by the Opposition for its state election campaign was a ploy to cover up the failures of the state governments that it held.
She said many were spinning narratives shifting the blame for the problems in their backyard to the federal government and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim by claiming his policies and initiatives were ineffective.
The youth and sports minister said the Opposition were bringing up things like the rising cost of living and taking cheap shots at the Rahmah initiatives that were meant to benefit the B40 and hardcore poor while failing to fix basic issues in their own state to divert public attention to the federal government.
“We see the current narrative for these upcoming state polls and it’s as though the failures of the state are the failures of the federal government.
“If so, then why do we see an overwhelming support and gratitude from the public towards the late Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub’s Rahmah initiatives?” Yeoh said during a forum by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) titled PRN: A Referendum on PMX or State Governments?
“It feels like this narrative — that the unity government is failing, that’s why the state’s failing and Anwar’s failing us — is to make people forget that the states have failed. Like the water issues in Kelantan and other states. This PMX narrative is clearly used to cover up these failures.
“It is up to the candidates to refocus the public and remind the states that if they fail you, you have the power to exact change by picking a different state assemblyman,” she said.
The Segambut MP was a guest at the forum alongside PAS Youth Exco member Nazrul Nazir, who took the place of Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari; Bersih chairman Thomas Fann; and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) deputy chairman S. Arutchelvan.
Yeoh was responding to comments made by Nazrul during the forum where he said the failures of the federal government reflected on the states since the unity government was formed less than a year ago and was fresh in people’s minds.
Nazrul said since the state elections were taking place so close on the heels of the general election, all matters and decisions made by the federal government would reflect on the states.
He said Anwar’s Cabinet had failed to live up to its promises and that the unity government would lose the state elections due to these reneged promises.
Bersih chairman Thomas Fann echoed Yeoh’s sentiments, adding that the public seemed confused in thinking that once the state elections were over, there could be a change in the federal government.
Fann said that was not possible and urged the public to focus on the candidates and choose the best one for them and not buy into scare tactics.
“We’re worried voter turnout will be low and want to tell the public there won’t be a federal government change once the state elections are over and please focus on local candidates when choosing. We’re hearing that the turnout could be very low because many are not keen to vote,” he said.
“Don’t let the candidates get away by blaming Anwar for the state’s problems. Don’t let them have a free ride riding on national issues. If they haven’t done well in the past five years, you should vote. Don’t let them get away with it.
Fann assured the public that with the anti-party hopping law in place, it would not be so easy to topple governments anymore.
