PH government’s bad performance may hurt PPBM in Tg Piai, says Anwar
(Bernama) – PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pix) acknowledged that Pakatan Harapan (PH) faces an uphill task in the Tanjung Piai parliamentary by-election, if the rakyat were to judge its performance solely on the 18-month period since coming to power.
He said, however, if the people could understand how difficult it was for the government to run the current administration, they would support its endeavour.
“We acknowledge that there are challenges, because the people are not measuring us based on the previous (government), if they did that we will win, but they are measuring us based on the one and a half years we have been in power.
“But I believe, God willing, if they understand how difficult it is for us to run the administration today, they will provide support,“ he told reporters after the Negri Sembilan PKR yesterday.
Also present were state PKR chairman Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzi and PKR central leadership council member Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Commenting further, Anwar said the government and the leadership as a whole could not expect the people’s continued support if it could not generate positive economic growth in the country.
He said the task of the election machinery for the Tanjung Piai parliamentary by-election should be to explain to the people what the current government had inherited from the previous administration, and what steps the government had taken to overcome the situation.
“Sometimes the information does not reach (the people), so it is our duty to convey it to the people so that they get the real picture of government leadership today,“ he said.
The Tanjung Piai parliamentary by-election is being held following the death of incumbent Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafik, 42, of Bersatu, who succumbed to heart complications at the Pontian Hospital on Sept 21.
In the by-election, PH candidate Karmaine Sardini faces a six-cornered fight against Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Dr Wee Jeck Seng of MCA, Gerakan’s Wendy Subramaniam, Parti Barisan Jemaah Islamiah (Berjasa) president Datuk Dr Badrulhisham Abdul Aziz; and two Independent candidates, Dr Ang Chuan Lock and Faridah Aryani Abd Ghaffar.
On the convention yesterday, Anwar said he had urged the party to return its focus to the people, the problems of poverty, as well as helping the government generate economic growth.
“I want the party members not to forget, especially when we have formed the government, that we get preoccupied with positions, influence, power … we must remember that the party was formed to uphold the interests of the people,“ he said.
The one-day convention was attended by 800 PKR members from across the state.
