By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, Sept 18 – In light of the setback faced by the ruling coalition in the recent state elections, Emir Research has listed five courses of action that the Unity Government should adopt to recapture public support.
Among other things, its chief executive officer Rais Husin Mohamed Ariff has urged the Unity Government to conduct an independent and comprehensive post-mortem analysis to address the anxieties of the Malay community.
In his report titled ‘6 State Elections 2023 Analytics and Reflections’, he noted that voter sentiments were palpable, as parties aligned to coalitions within the federal administration failed to retain numerous seats, reflecting a decrease in support.
In this regard, Rais said there is a pressing need for the Unity Government to step up its initiatives and address the Malay community’s long-standing apprehensions, which were exacerbated by divisive identity politics of race and religion accentuated by certain politicians.
“Immediate independent and competent post-mortem must be done by the government to address the Malay concern, reiterating that their rights are preserved in line with Articles 3, 152, and 153 of the Federal Constitution, while also upholding the position and roles of our constitutional monarchs,” he said.
“These findings must be communicated well with all strata of societies, especially the Malays, to allay their never ending fear, possibly the only majority that are perpetually fearful of the minority in the world.”
Rais said the government should also pivot towards tangible, actionable strategies to uplift the lives of everyday Malaysians and reduce their burden.
Among the primary areas of attention, according to Rais, include reducing the pressure of price increases, increasing the number of affordable housing, increasing allocations for affordable and quality public health and education programmes, and adding programmes that lead to quality jobs with dignified wages.
“The current administration is already working on delivering along these lines. However, they need to do more. They need to do it faster. And they need to do better,’’ he said.
On top of this, Rais said the government needs a better communication team to address issues faced by different segments of the society, such as urban, rural and youth.
He said the right social media strategy, which balances between rational and emotional appeal, must be employed, something that its rivals in Perikatan Nasional (PN) has done to great effect.
“Tell the public what the Unity Government is doing and how it will benefit them. Strategic communications needs to be on steroids because so far, PN outnumbers them by 10:1 in TikTok contents,’’ he said.
Separately, Rais highlighted the importance of the ruling parties expediting structural legislative reforms, including matters related to transparency, rule of law and anti-graft efforts.
Among his proposals are the reformation of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission; establishment of a Truth, Recovery and Amnesty Commission to retrieve pilfered funds; separation of roles between the Attorney General and the Public Prosecutor; restoration of the authorities of judicial and parliamentary institutions; and upgrading of GLCs to be at par with international standards.
Finally, Rais said the Unity Government must continue promoting fair and equitable economic growth while building an inclusive, moderate Malaysia.
To this end, he suggested prioritising the economic advancement of Bumiputeras and Malaysians at large; fostering investments; simplifying business processes; initiating a congenial tax system; revamping public schools; restoring the authority of public universities, defending national borders, and addressing the issue of brain drain, among others.
