Govt must remain grounded, public sentiment matters, says Rafizi

New Straits Times

11 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR: The government must remain grounded and responsive to public sentiment as positive economic indicators alone may not guarantee continued public support, said former economy minister Rafizi Ramli.
Likening the midterm elections in the United States to Malaysia, Rafizi, in his recent Yang Bakar Menteri podcast, said the situation should serve as early warning signs for ruling parties in the country.
"In the US, for instance, the midterm elections serve as the first warning bell; whether a party or president remains in power or is replaced depends on how the remainder of the term is handled.
"The concern now if the opposition takes over (in the next general election), it would be a waste, especially at a time when many of the measures introduced are finally starting to show results.
"One of Pakatan Harapan's (PH) advantages has always been that the people generally believe PH is a more competent administration. However, the PH-BN led government must not take public sentiment lightly," he said.
The Pandan member of parliament also pointed out that despite Malaysia's strong economic performance in 2017, the public ultimately voted for change in the following year.
"Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was confident of winning. Analysts even predicted it (BN's win).
"But, they lost as there was a gap between the headline numbers and how the sentiment of the people," he said.
As such, he also said it was important to have humility and internal accountability within parties.
"Even if we support our own party, we cannot take a 'holier than thou' approach as if our party is always right, it does not work like that.
"We have to lead by example, and if there is something we believe is wrong, we must speak up.
"With about two years left in the term, how the government handles public sentiment is crucial.
"Protest votes have happened before, in 2018, and this is why many are now saying they miss Najib's era, as the figures at the time looked good. Economically, 2017 was a strong year."