Has Sangetha been trying too hard apple-polishing with PR campaign to repair PMX's ruined image?

Focus Malaysia

4 days ago

PKR Women secretary Sangetha Jayakumar has found herself getting snubbed for having mobilised a so-called digital solidarity campaign among party members to rejuvenate Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's battered public image.
The personal effort of the daughter of former PKR vice-president Datuk Dr Xavier Jayakumar entailed sending out WhatsApp messages to PKR party members on a coordinated digital campaign for PMX through social media mobilisation.
Claiming that PKR Women chief Fadhlina Sidek had endorsed the campaign, she told Malaysiakini that the 'very much grassroot initiative' centres on positioning PMX as a principled international statesman who has elevated Malaysia's global standing.
But the special officer to Fadhlina in her capacity as Education Minister was accused of attempting to apple-polish PMX by Malaysiakini subscribers, many of whom are presumably made up of Pakatan Harapan (PH) loyalists who are disgruntled with the antics of PMX and his Madani government in recent times.
'Hello. Tangachi (younger sister in Tamil) … trying very hard to apple-polish PMX? Aiyo yo pocik (finish in Tamil),' teased one commenter with another labelling Sangetha as 'boot licker' but reminded her to do 'something real as your boss has no boots to lick'.
Another commenter told Sangetha to limit her social media campaign to her PKR members given 're-building PMX's reputation and image among the general public is a useless exercise and an insult to the public's intelligence'.
'It's as if we cannot see through the wool you pull before our eyes. Tell your PMX that it's well within his ability to repair his tattered public image. Just consistently do the right thing,' advised the commenter.
Another expressed pessimism that 'even a complete makeover will not show PMX differently than what he has shown in the past week'.
'The judicial crisis was created by him … He misjudged the public sentiment,' observed the commenter.
'He has failed as a reformer and has demonstrated that the more meaningful significant and impactful reforms will simply not happen under his watch.
'He tried to pivot criticism by pointing to compliance with process and procedures while the public were screaming adherence to principles and the spirit of the law. It speaks volumes when it's the public who schools him on right and wrong.'
As one commenter cynically put it, it may be a tard too late for Sangetha to repair the damage inflicted on PMX's image as Malaysians at large are already pissed off with his untrustworthiness as evident from the mounting trust deficit in him and his Madani administration. – July 17, 2025