Former Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar has urged Pakatan Harapan (PH) to evaluate why the coalition has struggled to gain support from Malay voters instead of blaming other political parties.
Khairy said he had previously highlighted that PH had failed to manage Malay sensitivities effectively, although the remarks drew criticism from the coalition.
“I mentioned before that Malay sensitivities were not handled well by PH, and they became upset by saying I was playing the race card.
“But I want PH to reflect and ask themselves why they are not popular among Malay voters,” he said.
He made the remarks after attending a breakfast session with Barisan Nasional (BN) Lenggeng state seat candidate Datuk Mohd Asna Amin here on Friday.
Khairy said a study on the performance of PH candidates during the Johor state election showed that some candidates received less than 10 per cent support from Malay voters.
“Based on the study, PH candidates did not even receive 10 per cent of Malay votes in Johor.
“Therefore, PH should question itself before blaming others or accusing me of raising racial issues,” he said.
He added that PH’s lack of Malay voter support was not related to BN or Perikatan Nasional (PN), saying the coalition should instead focus on understanding the reasons behind the rejection.
Meanwhile, Khairy said BN needs to work harder to ensure the momentum achieved in Johor can also be replicated in Negeri Sembilan, where the party is considered the underdog due to PH’s administration of the state.
He believes the cooperation between BN and PN, along with public dissatisfaction towards PH’s administration at both state and federal levels, could provide an advantage for the coalition in the upcoming state election.
On BN’s decision to remain committed to the unity government until the end of the term, Khairy described it as a mature and responsible move to maintain national stability amid ongoing global challenges.
However, he said current political dynamics require BN to adopt a different approach at the state level while continuing to uphold professionalism at the federal level.
