YOURSAY | ‘The youth are no longer thrilled with either the government or PN.’

COMMENT | Mahkota: Another Bersatu loss

COMMENT | What the Mahkota election really tells us

Cogito Ergo Sum: It is not that I loved Perikatan Nasional less or that I loved Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership more.

Those who did not abstain from voting did not have any choice.

The youth are no longer thrilled with either the government or PN. Umno should be grateful, very grateful, that the elderly non-Malays voted for their candidate despite their racist rhetoric.

Perhaps they were consoled by the fact that the DAP was part of the coalition.

That support for the DAP is now very fragile.

As long as there are bigoted rhetorics with no consequences, the support for Anwar will sink before the 16th general election.

Milshah: I disagree with what Malaysiakini columnist P Gunasegaram wrote.

The Mahkota by-election result was meaningful.

During the election, many non-Malays stated they wanted to teach Umno and, in particular, Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh a lesson.

Many commentators also said that non-Malay voters should stay home and not vote.  

Remember, non-Malays were said to be the kingmakers in Mahkota as they make up 35 percent of the voters. 

The result? A landslide victory for Umno of 28,000 votes versus PN’s 7,000 votes.

Even a reduced number of non-Malays voting did not affect Umno.   

It shows that non-Malays do not have the power to teach Umno a lesson.

Reset: For a supposedly neutral researcher, Bridget Welsh's analysis seems relatively negative towards BN and Harapan.

She ignored many factors that contributed to the result, which hugely favoured BN (Umno) candidate Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah.

The ability to maintain or even increase the combined vote bank of both BN and Harapan was indeed a very impressive accomplishment.

Based on the last two by-elections (Mahkota and Nenggiri), there is a statistical trend that the unity government, especially Umno, has started to revert the growing electoral support base of PN amongst Malay voters.

This is itself a significant development and may be attributed to a few factors, including Anwar's strong leadership and support at the international level for Palestine during the Gaza crisis, the significant pay increase for public servants, and other targeted subsidies that benefited the B40.

This state election also observed the electability of the Umno candidate, who is widely accepted by non-Malays (despite a certain percentage having refrained from voting due to silent protest towards Akmal), as well as the hard work and leadership of the Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi. 

Apanama is back: In the article, Welsh said, “Looking collectively at the more frequent decisions not to vote, Malaysians are losing confidence in the electoral process, a concern for Malaysian democracy.”

Yes, this trend, which started during the six-state election, will become worse in three years, especially with the next general election.

Who cares if PN, BN, Pakatan Harapan or any other coalition will run the country when any of them will lead the country to a failed nation?

As long as the focus is on race and religion, the country is doomed.  

Therefore, in the current illiberal and pseudo-democracy with further deterioration of secularism, I have only one thing to say to those who have bright futures elsewhere.  

So, if you have the opportunity, it might be time to pack your bags and seek your fortunes elsewhere. Good luck!  

Pink: A well-written analysis by Welsh.

With all the resources available, the Madani government could not make further gains in Johor. Bersatu has been a poor opposition, silent on most issues.

There are no charismatic leaders within Bersatu. Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin, the likely successor to Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, is a lot worse.

But what is important now is that Malaysian voters are more mature. No parties could take them for granted.

They switch their votes easily. That is good for democracy.

GrayParrot9290: Gunasegeram’s piece clearly explains why Anwar is scared to take decisive action to enact the reforms he promises.

Is he acting in his self-interest to stay in power? Which logical thinking rakyat will object to good reforms? 

Reforms ensure justice for all, a country that is free of corruption and practices meritocracy, which will benefit everyone. 

GoldenMouse0939: Umno has recovered from its lowest point, and Harapan may face backlash in the future.

This recovery signals a resurgence for Umno and Harapan could potentially encounter political consequences or challenges due to its current alliances or actions.

Knucklehead: Umno’s arrogance is evident in how they brag about their victories but fail to analyse their defeats.

This lack of introspection is why they suffered a significant loss in the 15th general election.

The party’s ego and overconfidence blind them to the real sentiments on the ground.

The Malays are now split between four political parties, and Umno’s core supporters are often those who benefited under former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s era - rent seekers who contribute nothing to the country.

Umno has never known the meaning of hard work; everything was handed to them on a silver platter.  

The best course is to wait for the next general election and bury them for good.

Mgpowl: Welsh’s analyses are very fact-backed and reliable. This is a wake-up call for all parties, particularly for Bersatu.

At their upcoming party polls, the members should nominate and vote for their choice of candidates.

They must give their leaders a strong support base and close ranks when the next election comes along. 

Choose leaders who can represent both Malays and non-Malays and deliver a clear and sincere message of what they will do for the people.

Focusapp: The moral of the story is to take the Makhota by-election result with a pinch of salt.

Don't read too much into it.  

Be warned, though. Harapan’s support has steadily declined in urban areas.

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