Advertisement

Tanjung Piai defeat only surface of Pakatan's woes, says Ramasamy

Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Prof P. Ramasamy says Pakatan’s defeat in the Tanjung Piai by-election is symptomatic of deeper underlying problems. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Prof P. Ramasamy says Pakatan’s defeat in the Tanjung Piai by-election is symptomatic of deeper underlying problems. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 — Pakatan Harapan's defeat in last week's Tanjung Piai by-election is symptomatic of deeper underlying problems, said Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Prof P. Ramasamy.

He said Barisan Nasional's (BN) victory, which saw an overwhelming 15,000 votes in its favour, can be attributed to various factors including Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders failure to appreciate the generosity of Malaysian society, a lack of dynamism in implementing renewal as promised in their electoral manifesto, intra-party friction, a lack of progress in policy issues, among others.

“The fact that Pakatan's loss this time is the coalition's worst defeat since it took power from BN after six decades of rule cannot be denied,” Ramasamy said in a statement today.

He said for BN to defeat PH in a by-election in some form or another, is an indicator that something is really wrong with the coalitions' leaders.

“The by-election was not a popularity contest between BN and the ruling coalition, but rather a vote of protest against Pakatan. Things will only worsen if the promised renewal are not fulfilled in the near future.

“A year and eight months is sufficient for Pakatan leaders to accustom themselves at the reins of government. They cannot ask for more time on the basis that newly-appointed ministers are inexperienced,” he said.

Ramasamy said it remains to be seen if things will worsen before they come better, adding he remains confident in the latter.

“I am sure Pakatan will emerge from this temporary rut to regain the confidence and trust of Malaysians across the board. The ruling coalition must ensure BN's existing support does not translate into permanence,” he said.

Related Articles Ilham Centre: BN laid Pakatan bare in Tanjung Piai Tanjung Piai Chinese vote swung massively against Pakatan, says think tank Patriot tells Pakatan to stop feuding, fix Malaysia’s economy