Want ‘good guys' in the govt? Then pick Perikatan in GE16, Dr Afif tells Malaysian voters
Speaking at a Bersatu Youth's dialogue session last night, the Selangor PN secretary said the coalition's pitch to voters was simple — clean leaders with integrity and moral standards.
'If you want the good guys, choose us. If you want the bad guys, choose them,' he told the audience, referring to the government coalition.
Dr Afif was responding to a question from the audience on PN's strategy to win over Malaysians during the session.
He also pointed to the 15th general election as proof that integrity had also swayed voters allegedly into voting PN.
'Barisan Nasional (BN) was the biggest loser in 2022. Their leader, [Datuk Seri Ahmad] Zahid Hamidi, was seen as corrupt. Malays, Chinese, Indians — all rejected him,' he said, referring to the BN chairman.
According to him, non-Malays mostly backed Pakatan Harapan (PH) because it was perceived as clean, while most Malays selected PN for the same reason, citing Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's Covid-19 crisis management and reputation for fighting corruption.
'But if you ask me today, between PN and PH, who is seen as having integrity?' he asked, prompting the audience to respond with 'Perikatan.'
The Taman Medan assemblyman, who was formerly in PKR, claimed Malaysian politics was still largely shaped along racial lines.
'Look at the demographics. Where there's a Malay majority, there's a Malay candidate. Chinese majority, a Chinese candidate. It's not just political parties, it's also the voters,' he said.
He said most major parties still operate along racial lines, citing DAP as an example.
'As much as they want to portray themselves as multiracial, they are still a Chinese-based party. Until they have the confidence to appoint a Malay chief minister in Penang, they remain a race-based party,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
3 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Cabinet agrees to act against ‘irresponsible politicians', says minister
Science, technology and innovation minister Chang Lih Kang criticised an 'irresponsible politician' for stoking tensions during the Merdeka month and for bullying. PETALING JAYA : The Cabinet decided yesterday to have firm action taken against 'irresponsible politicians' inciting sentiments over the recent Jalur Gemilang controversy, according to federal minister Chang Lih Kang. Chang, who is minister for science, technology and innovation, said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and other ministers were 'very concerned' that the issue would dampen public enthusiasm for National Day. Referring to reports of a police investigation regarding the controversy, he said: 'We shall wait and see whether anyone will eventually be charged in court,' Malaysiakini reported him as saying in a speech in Klang today. In a video on social media, Chang took further shots at an 'irresponsible politician' for stoking tensions during the Merdeka month. 'It's not only irresponsible, it is an act of bullying. Everyone knows who I am talking about.' His remarks appeared to be about Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, who led a group to a hardware shop in Penang after its owner was reported to have accidentally hung the national flag upside down. 'We are a nation and society governed by the rule of law. If there is a problem, lodge a police report and let the authorities take action. 'You are not an enforcement agency. You cannot just bring a group of people to someone's shop, disrupt their business and bully them,' Chang said.
Free Malaysia Today
5 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
We have become overly sensitive as a nation
Fewer flags are flying in front of homes this year although this is August – Merdeka month. And we have to thank some of our politicians and social media activists for it. People are saying that it is better to not fly the flag than for someone to find fault and lodge a police report against them. I was at a function recently and a couple of elderly gentlemen shook their heads in response to the posturing and arguments over a recent case of a shopkeeper mistakenly flying the national flag upside down. 'What's wrong with these guys? We should be celebrating the flag. We should be encouraging people to fly the flag, not put fear into them so that they prefer not to fly the flag,' one of them said. Another said: 'It's a voluntary act to show our loyalty to the nation and to celebrate Malaya's independence from Britain but if this is going to cause me a problem, I'd rather not fly the flag. I will show my loyalty in other ways.' I can understand why many Malaysians are upset when a flag is flown upside down. They see it as disrespecting the nation. They rightly argue that after 68 years every Malaysian should know how to fly the flag. If it is intentional, the law must take its course; but we must remember that people do make mistakes. And we have to make allowances for that. In the 1960s and 1970s, if such a mistake had been made, people would just point it out and then move on. I have personally seen, sometime in the early-seventies, a man telling a shopkeeper that the national flag outside his shop was upside down. The shopkeeper looked surprised and quickly went to set it right, thanking the man in the process. The passer-by smiled and cycled off. There was no acrimony, no accusation of disloyalty, no police report. Then again, we were not as divided as we are today and politicians were generally more responsible. And we had no social media. Today, if someone has a flag that is flying upside down, he is accused of being disloyal, even a traitor to the nation, and a police report is lodged against him. And the police, who should spend their time fighting crime and keeping the streets safe, have to expend manpower and resources just to investigate this report. Today, even simple, innocuous remarks can be misunderstood and given a racial or religious tint; even statements of fact can be seen as an affront to this or that group. We tend to see almost everything with racially or religiously tinted lenses. We tend to view almost every act or remark with suspicion. As someone who has experienced life in the 1960s and 1970s, I feel that people today are overly sensitive, especially in matters related to race and religion. In those days, Malaysians were interested in resolving issues. If a flag was upside down, they would inform the person who had put up the flag to rectify the mistake. If someone had inadvertently made a remark or done something that hurt the feeling of some community or other, he would be forgiven if he sincerely apologised. But then again, people were not as hurt by remarks in those days. Today, it appears, many are more interested in looking like champions than in seeking solutions. In the process, Malaysians are growing further apart. I feel especially sad because this is Merdeka month – a period when we should focus on building bridges and coming closer together as a nation. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
MIC confirms informal discussions with PN
KOTA TINGGI: MIC today admitted that the party has held informal discussions with Perikatan Nasional (PN) on its future direction. MIC president Tan Sri S. A. Vigneswaran said the party leadership is carefully reviewing its course following proposals from grassroots members, including those from Kedah and Penang, to support PN. He said the country's changing political dynamics and landscape require the party to decide its direction to ensure it does not become irrelevant. "Yes, we acknowledge that we have held informal discussions with PN on MIC's direction. MIC is not hiding anything... This is not a 'secret relationship'. "We will determine our own path. Having said that, we are not upset with anyone," he said after officiating the 79th Johor MIC Delegates Convention here today. Also present was Johor MIC chairman K. Raven. It was reported last week that several MIC branches, including those in Kedah, Penang, and Perak, passed motions to cooperate with PN and did not rule out leaving Barisan Nasional (BN). However, MIC Kedah chairman SK Suresh was quoted as saying that the final decision would be made by the party's central leadership. Commenting further, Vigneswaran said MIC is still carefully reviewing its future direction before coming to a final decision. He said the decision to be made would be for the benefit of the Indian community in the country and for the party's future. "Everyone must understand that the country's political dynamics have changed. If MIC does not accept this reality, we will be lost. "MIC accepts it; we are labelled weak, yet it is strange that many still want to discuss this party. We don't understand that. "Much analysis has been done about MIC, many things have been said, but we do not believe them. MIC only trusts our grassroots," he said.
