Attracting rural Malay votes is PH's main challenge - Anwar
SHAH ALAM - Among the main challenges for Pakatan Harapan (PH) and PKR to remain strong is engaging with the Malays living in the villages.
This, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said was because the issues they faced were at times different.
The issues, he said involved support in terms of language, culture, rural poverty and the future education direction.
He said it was obvious how political parties were aiming for support from urban and suburban voter groups, even the emerging new parties.
"The main challenge the party faces is attracting the votes of Malays in rural areas and uniting the Malays living in the rural areas should be the party's priority.
He said it was crucial for their sensitivity to be taken care of, especially when social media which was being used as one of the main platforms to attract voters were dominated by urban, educated and non-Malay groups.
As an example, he said when they did not agree with the policy that was 'too Malay-centred', the Malays in rural areas would assume that the criticism was directed at them as a whole.
He noted that it was not an easy task to win back the hearts of those in rural areas.
He said the party will take this into consideration in its efforts to attract the Malay voters in the areas after the party election.
He also said the statement made by Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar that PH would need at least two general election rounds to win back Putrajaya, should be acknowledged.
Anwar said it was important to support the assessment as it was based on studies over the outcome of the Melaka and Johor state elections.
"She can give her views, and if we look at it from one angle, it could be considered a surprise, a warning that we will face defeat if we do not change and rekindle our fighting spirit.
"I am sure that her views were based on the Melaka and Johor state elections' outcome," he said.
He said if the performance of the party’s grassroots in attending to the people in Selangor was measured, he was confident with PH’s performance as the state government.
He added that if they were given a stepping stone, it would help in strengthening the party.
"I assumed PKR's Rafizi Ramli's and Nurul Izzah’s views are to surprise the grassroots.
“The important thing is that we must liste, carefully, protest if we do not agree or we change the situation if there is the need to do so,” he said.
Previously, Nurul Izzah who is former PKR vice-president said it will take at least a decade, or two general election cycles, for PH to win back Putrajaya.
She said she anticipated that the party will face difficulties in the 15th General Election, where it could even lose most of its parliamentary and state seats before making a positive impact that will allow people to accept the party once again.
