KUALA LUMPUR - The results of the 16th Melaka State Election demand that Pakatan Harapan (PH) reassess the effectiveness of the delivery system and the government's communication machinery to ensure that all policies and initiatives implemented are truly understood by the grassroots.
Dr Muhamad Fuad Abdul Karim, a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), said that the PH-led government has implemented various targeted policies and aid for the people, but delivery gaps have caused the benefits to be less directly felt at the community level.
He said efforts to translate the implementation of government policies from the perspective of public understanding must be given serious attention so that the initiatives brought forward are not merely seen from an administrative perspective.
"So the problem that I see with PH is not in terms of promises to be fulfilled, but the delivery system within those institutions may not be strong enough to face the realities happening within the context of society. And this is actually what needs serious attention," he said when appearing as a guest on a special broadcast in conjunction with the Melaka State Election produced by Bernama TV tonight.
Meanwhile, Dr Mohd Fauzi Fadzil, a Senior Lecturer in General Studies at the Center for Islamic, General Studies, and Languages, Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia, said that Barisan Nasional's (BN) success in Melaka proves that traditional campaigning approaches through face-to-face engagement with voters remain effective compared to relying on social media visibility.
"Popularity is one thing; people might like you on social media. On social media, if we look at Threads and so on, it has a different algorithm. But on the ground, at the ballot box, it turns out differently because popularity and votes are something different," he said.
He noted that the approach of fielding local candidates who consistently serve their respective areas proved to be much more successful in winning over rural voters compared to merely relying on youthful candidates or online popularity.
Regarding federal-level relations post-Melaka State Election, Fauzi expressed the view that cooperation within the MADANI Government will not be affected because its foundation is centered on the principle of unity between PH and BN, alongside coalition partners in Sabah and Sarawak. - BERNAMA