adminKUALA LUMPUR: With the 16th General Election (GE16) expected to be held within a year from now, Pakatan Harapan (PH) has a greater advantage in the issue of nominating a candidate for Prime Minister based on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s record and ability to govern the country, especially in terms of economic and social development.
Professor, Faculty of Law and International Relations, Sultan Zainal Abidin University (UniSZA), Prof. Dr. Mohd Afandi Salleh said that Anwar offers leadership that is already known and an administrative record that can be evaluated.
According to him, in the face of the 16th GE, certainty about who will lead the country is a political strength, especially when those who want to challenge the current government have not yet reached an agreement on who their top leadership will be.
“Anwar’s advantage is not just in his name or position as the incumbent. He has experience in managing the economy, handling international relations and bringing together various parties with different interests in a government, including those from Sabah and Sarawak.”
“The ability to manage these differences is important because governing Malaysia requires confidence across parties, religions, races, regions and socio-economic backgrounds,” he said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, Mohd. Afandi explained that if the Barisan Nasional (BN)-PAS collaboration wants to be presented as an option to take over Putrajaya, the coalition needs to explain who the Prime Minister candidate is, what the common policy is and how they will form a stable government.
He said the slogan of ummah unification has political appeal, but it needs to be translated into a convincing administrative offer.
He stressed that an agreement to cooperate in the election does not necessarily mean an agreement on how to govern after victory.
“I am of the view that PAS still lacks a national leader of calibre who is acceptable to all parties, capable of managing a complex economy and building the confidence of coalition partners, including in Sabah and Sarawak.
“Authority within the party must be accompanied by the ability to lead the entire country,” he said.
At the same time, he said, the issue of leaders’ integrity will also be assessed and they must demonstrate transparency and a willingness to be held accountable.
He added that Anwar’s strength is more convincing when built on his administrative record and leadership quality, compared to leaders of other parties.
“The challenge for BN-PAS is to offer leadership and government programs that are at least comparable. Voters have the right to know who will lead them, how the country will be governed and what will make their lives better,” he explained.
-Agency
