KUALA LUMPUR - Now that the people have spoken through their mandate in the six state elections, all parties should set aside their political differences and channel their efforts towards developing the country, according to two analysts.
Yesterday’s polls saw Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Penang coming under the control of the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-Barisan Nasional (BN) unity alliance, which teamed up in electoral battles for the first time, and Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu remaining with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration.
Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) political analyst Prof Dr Ahmad Martadha Mohamed said on the part of the Unity Government, they should quickly work towards strengthening the economy and improving the people’s quality of life through the Madani Economy policy.
"The country’s economic performance was among the sentiments played by political parties during the state polls, to the extent some people believed (claims) that the Unity Government failed to resolve this issue after taking over the national administration.
"That is why the Unity Government should work hard to intensify efforts on implementing the Madani Economy policy so that the people especially rural Malays can feel the impact of economic development,” he told Bernama.
The UUM deputy vice-chancellor (Student Affairs and Alumni) said through the Madani Economy, the government was expected to create more job opportunities and enhance salary structures, thus helping to improve the people’s quality of life.
According to him, if this reform of the economic structure was successfully implemented, it could boost the people’s support for the PH-BN alliance in the 16th general election.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had earlier unveiled the Madani Economy framework, which is aimed at rejuvenating Malaysia’s economy and generating benefits that will enable the people to enjoy a better quality of life.
Another political analyst, Associate Prof Dr Mazlan Ali from Perdana Centre, Razak Faculty of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), said the prime minister’s attitude of being fair to the opposition-held states of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu would open the eyes of many quarters regarding the performance of the Unity Government.
"The prime minister has repeatedly stressed that the federal government has never victimised opposition states in terms of allocations or development because he wants to ensure the people’s well-being is always protected. This shows the sincerity of a leader who wants everyone to enjoy equal opportunities regardless of their political support,” he said.
For PN, he said, the coalition needed to ensure that the manifesto it launched for the people of Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu would be implemented, including the pledges on job opportunities and housing.
"In Kedah, the PN manifesto promises to provide 100,000 job opportunities within 30 years through investments and implementation of high-impact projects, and this must be proven in the next five years so that the people can truly reap the benefits.
"Now is the time to work and if possible overcome problems which have beset the people for so long, such as the water issue in Kelantan and Kedah as well as the economic standing of people, which is considered low compared to that in states administered by the Unity Government," he said.
He said the three states which PN just retained should also strive to increase their own state revenue without having to rely on allocations from the federal government. - BERNAMA