LETTER | Harapan's muddled GE15 narrative

LETTER | One popular narrative being pushed by Pakatan Harapan for the 15th general election (GE15) is for voters to reject the Umno-led Barisan Nasional to stem the resurgence of tainted leaders like Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

I am no fan of the Umno president, much less his party. However, when Harapan uses the narrative that "one vote for BN is one vote for Zahid", it shows the coalition is struggling with political messaging and sends mixed, confusing signals to its electorate.

If Harapan wants to drive the final nail in Zahid's political coffin, shouldn't the coalition train its guns in Bagan Datuk, the constituency he is seeking re-election?

Rightfully, Harapan should go all out to defeat Zahid there, just like how the late Lim Chong Eu was defeated in the 1990 general election, costing the latter the Penang chief minister's post.

It is not unheard of for political giants to fall in Malaysian politics, including the late Samy Vellu in Sungai Siput, Liow Tiong Lai in Bentong or Koh Tsu Koon in 2008 and Lim Kit Siang in 1999.

But Harapan's reluctance to train much of its political ammo in Bagan Datuk shows the coalition's lack of confidence in denying Zahid a chance to win the seat once again - and possibly pave the way for him to be the next prime minister.

If Zahid is defeated in Bagan Datuk, there's no need for the slogan "one vote for BN is one vote for Zahid" anymore as that would be the end of his political career. The argument is moot.

Instead, Harapan has been pushing the "one vote for BN is one vote for Zahid" narrative in marginal seats like Sungai Buloh, Kuala Selangor and Pulai.

This simply shows that the opposition is not confident of not just its candidates in those areas, but also in taking over Putrajaya.

This runs contrary to the confidence portrayed by Harapan leaders like Anwar Ibrahim and Rafizi Ramli, who had earlier said that the coalition would regain Putrajaya, which it lost through the Sheraton Move in early 2020.

As a voter, I am rather confused by Harapan's electoral narrative this time around, unlike in 2018 when it was clear wanting to topple BN due to corruption scandals like 1MDB.

Unless Harapan gets its messaging right, it would cost the coalition precious votes and even pave way for the likes of Zahid to reach the apex of local politics after Nov 19.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.