Despite setbacks in yesterday’s twin by-elections and last
month’s Sarawak state election, DAP's political education chief Liew Chin Tong
said Pakatan Harapan will rise again.
He said the current situation was similar to what the
opposition had faced during the 1995 general election, and during the Machap
and Ijok by-elections in 2007.
“In the 1995 general election, the opposition was decimated
and it took years to come back.
“In April 2007 after losing the Machap and Ijok
by-elections, no one would have thought that less than a year later, the
political tsunami would happen on 8th March 2008.
“In a difficult moment like this, we must not give up, but
rise to provide leadership for a new and better Malaysia,” he said in a
statement today.
BN won convincingly in the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar
twin by-elections yesterday, garnering more votes than its PAS and Amanah
opponents combined.
BN garnered 16,800 votes in Sungai Besar, compared to Amanah
(7,609) and PAS (6,902).
In Kuala Kangsar, BN garnered 12,653 votes, compared to
Amanah (4,883), PAS (5,684), and independent candidate Izat Bukhary Ismail
Bukhary (54).
At the recent Sarawak state election, Pakatan lost six seats
to BN compared to the previous one, and failed to win any of the newly created
seats.
Liew said it would have taken a miracle for Amanah to defeat
BN yesterday, but it was hoped that the by-election results would at least
realign Malaysia’s political players more clearly.
“But the split in Umno and the split in PAS did not
translate into sufficient votes for the Amanah candidates. Hence the political
scene is still murky and messy,” he said.
Moving forward, Liew said Pakatan would have to convince
rural and semi-urban voters that a change in government was the right thing for
Malaysia.
In addition, it needed to overcome racial and religious
barriers.
“Since the 2008 election, Umno has worked overtime in
demonising DAP to prevent any possible support from among Malay voters for DAP
and its coalition partners.
“The challenge for Pakatan Harapan is to articulate a new
agenda that brings ordinary Malaysians of all ethnic backgrounds together with
a common purpose and a shared destiny. There is no easy way out.
“We in Pakatan Harapan have to convince all Malaysians that
a change of government is good for the majority of Malaysians,” he said.
Source –Mkini-
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