Green wave not a threat; rakyat wants significant reformation by the gov - experts

SHAH ALAM - The green wave (Pas) will never go further or higher because the rakyat still wants to see significant reformation and transformation.

Therefore, they ought to give more time to the Unity government, experts say.

This was in response to Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, who is also the Kedah Menteri Besar, who claimed that the green wave since the 15th General Election (GE15) was getting stronger due to the rakyat's disappointment with the performance of the Unity Government at the federal level.

Sanusi added that the current situation was advantageous to the PN coalition and that it was ready to capture the six states in the upcoming state elections.

However, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) political analyst Datuk Prof Dr Jayum Anak Jawan viewed Sanusi's comments as a mistake if he believed that this would inevitably result in votes in the upcoming polls.

"The rakyat have waited for 60 years under the previous government, especially under the Barisan Nasional (BN), and I think they still have the patience to give the Unity Government some time to begin to realise and deliver on their election promises.

"The green wave has had its peak. It cannot go any further or higher. If anything, people are beginning to be impatient because their support has amounted to little as Pas is outside the government and many young Turks who have had the experience of being in government are eager to return," Jayum, who is also a member of the National Unity Advisory Council, added.

On top of that, he said that the rakyat will now have to wait and give some time for the Unity government to lead the country and expect more substantive changes and reformation.

International Islamic University Malaysia political analyst Associate Professor Dr Syaza Shukri also echoed Jayum's views and said there will not be a 'tsunam' of votes for the green wave in the upcoming election.

"The previous sentiment of a 'liberal, anti-Islam, anti-Malay' PH government has been proven untrue.

"Nevertheless, the opposition will keep on saying the Unity government is controlled by DAP even though it is not true," she added.

Malaysians now have a better sense of how to vote; in fact, Sanusi just used populist rhetoric, she added.

"I don’t think the PN can win all six states. Maybe the PN will keep the three states, but that’s not really a tsunami."

However, Syaza also added that now the rakyat is more concerned with the cost of living issue, where the government should focus more to help the rakyat.

Meanwhile, Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Dr Oh Ei Sun explained that the religiosity issue is not only the hottest issue in Malaysia but in many other Muslim-majority countries, such as Indonesia and Turkey.

"The demand by Sanusi of these religiously oriented voters is by definition a higher degree of religiosity in all aspects of society.

"It does not appear that the anti-corruption drive or the socioeconomic undertakings by the unity government resonate with these voters, who are increasing in their numbers," he explained.

As a result, Oh added that it was conceivable that the green wave would spark another political tsunami, with the PN sweeping across as many as five states.

Kedah, along with Kelantan, Selangor, Terengganu, Penang, and Negeri Sembilan, are due for state elections this year.