Negri polls: Pakatan leaders to take collective responsibility for defeat, says Amirudin
Pakatan Harapan leaders have accepted collective responsibility for their recent election defeat in Negri Sembilan. Election director Amirudin Shari criticized the opposition's reliance on divisive, identity-based politics rather than economic and social policy.
Why it matters
The shift toward identity-driven rhetoric in Malaysian politics poses significant challenges to national unity and policy-focused governance.
SEREMBAN: Pakatan Harapan has accepted its defeat in the Negri Sembilan election, with Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari highlighting that the 11 seats it had won showed that the coalition still retains voter support.
The Pakatan election director, however, condemned the heavy reliance on divisive, identity-driven politics during the campaign period.
"This extraordinary racist campaign only breeds long-term anxiety and suspicion between Malays and non-Malays," he told reporters Saturday (Aug 1).
He criticised opponents for abandoning bread-and-butter issues like the economy, job creation, education, and the rising cost of living in favour of racial rhetoric, calling it a step backward for both the state and the nation.
Amirudin said identity-based politics dominated a major part of the campaign, especially in Malay-majority areas.
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