SHAH ALAM - The upcoming state polls serve as a wake-up call for the government and an opportunity for the public to create a 'second time bomb' following the 15th general election (GE15).
Muafakat Nasional (MN) Supreme Council Member Datuk Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz said the matter would only occur with the public's realisation that they were now affected by price hike and subsidy abolishment.
He said the votes given to Pakatan Harapan (PN) or BN may not change the situation.
"The elections should serve as a wake-up call because by not voting for PH or BN, we can reduce the arrogance of those in power.
"They will find ways to lower the cost of goods and will not hastily remove subsidies. Electricity bills will not skyrocket.
"This time bomb, when combined with public awareness, is the best way to teach a lesson to the government. The time to act is now," he expressed during the live broadcast of the Sinar Wacana Series 404 on all Sinar digital platforms on Tuesday..
The programme discussed the topic titled 'State polls: Time for second bomb?' featuring Bersatu Information Committee member Badrul Hisham Shaharin, Perak PKR deputy chairman Muhamad Arafat Varisai Mahamad and Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam as panelists.
Tun Faisal noted that the public, including entrepreneurs, is currently facing challenging times due to a decline in purchasing power.
"Civil servants are also struggling. Therefore, when we hear arguments from government representatives, we should not solely blame the government. The root of the problem lies with the public.
"This is an opportunity for the public to demonstrate their desire for change," he added.
He also stressed that the country should not be preoccupied with 3R (race, religion, and royalty) issues and urged the public to refrain from being influenced by the government's narrative, particularly in the upcoming state elections.
"Malay Muslims have only been disappointed by two things: the cancellation of the appeal for the use of the term 'Allah' and the plight of 200,000 Muslim students whose education is affected by regulations imposed by local authorities (PBT) that make it difficult for them to register and be approved for school," he said.
On Malay Proclamation brought forward by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Faisal claimed that it was driven by concerns about a government dominated by DAP.
"He was worried that the current government had 40 DAP seats.
"Based on the 22 months of experience with the PH government, he observed that the government could be dominated by DAP," he explained.