KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Voters in the six states expected to head for state elections this year should use the ballot box as an opportunity to protest against the unity government under key members Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional’s Umno, Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Muhyiddin claimed that his PN coalition will receive support from voters in the upcoming six state polls amid economic pressures, and also claimed that the unity government had allegedly failed to manage the country well.
Muhyiddin claimed to have experienced warm support from the public for events and believed that this would translate to support for PN in those state elections.
“This is because the public sees and feels what is happening in the country currently,” he said in his Facebook post, listing down matters such as the increasing squeeze from living costs, increasing price of daily essentials, the decline in the ringgit’s value and the country’s economy which he claimed as appearing to be direction-less.
Muhyiddin claimed that such a situation allegedly proved the existing federal government under PH and Umno had failed to bring Malaysia out of economic trouble, which he said especially affected the lives of the low-income group.
Muhyiddin also accused the current government of failing to fulfill promises made during the 15th general election (GE15), even though it has been in government for six months.
“The public cannot stand this situation and I wish to invite the people of Negeri Sembilan and five other states involved in the state elections soon to vote for PN as a referendum of the people’s protest to the PH-Umno government for failing to manage the country.
“Make the state election later as a signal that the public is angry with what is happening,” he said.
The PH-held Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Penang as well as the PAS-led Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu had previously decided not to hold their state elections at the same time as the GE15 last November.
The full term for the state legislative assembly in all these states will come to an end this year, meaning all six must hold their elections this year.
Penang has announced that it is planning to seek a June 28 dissolution for its state assembly while Negeri Sembilan is eyeing June 30, with Kelantan expected to announce this week the dissolution date of its state assembly.
