KUCHING, Nov 17: The outcome of the Tanjung Piai by-election yesterday is an indicator of the rakyat’s dissatisfaction towards the performance of PH after 18 months in government.
Sarawak Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Chong Chieng Jen acknowledged the federal government and its leadership have failed miserably.
Chong in a statement noted that not only did PH not gain any increase in Malay support, they also lost the majority of Chinese votes.
“Though it may only be the result of one by-election, it must be taken seriously by the PH leadership. The people have spoken loud and clear. It is time for the top leadership and the cabinet to urgently make amends and re-think the government’s policies and direction henceforth.
“This is just like a term assessment for the PH government with the 15th general elections as the final year examination. From this term assessment, the PH government has failed miserably,” Chong asserted.
He warned the PH leadership not to take consolation in the fact that there is another three-and-a-half years to go before the next general elections.
This is because the Sarawak state elections will be held latest by September 2021.
“The Sarawak state election will be the mid-year assessment for the PH government. If the PH government fails again, the momentum will carry itself to the end of the term. Therefore, between now and the next Sarawak state elections which may be held as early as six months from now, there must be a discernible change of federal government policies in the right direction.
“We do not need to search far for what is the right direction. We only need to refer to the GE14 PH Manifesto which won us the government, which is in general, a middle-path, progressive and fair government for all races,” Chong added.
Meanwhile, he called for all Sarawak PH members and supporters not despair at the result of the Tanjung Piai by-election, saying it is a battle lost but not the war.
From another perspective, Chong opined the Tanjung Piai fiasco is a blessing in disguise.
“It gave us an early warning signal rather than letting us find out the hard fact after the Sarawak state elections or the 15th general elections,” he noted. — DayakDaily
