Sungai Bakap: Rafizi's role in PH campaigns seen as liability - Analysts

SHAH ALAM - Strategies involving PKR deputy-president Rafizi Ramli in Pakatan Harapan's (PH) campaigns have not yielded desired results, according to Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) political analyst Dr Abdul Aziz Azizam.

He stressed that Rafizi's involvement has become a liability for PH due to his association with controversial issues such as subsidy management, which has eroded public trust.

"The decline in support for PH indicated a lack of public confidence, exacerbated by strategies involving Rafizi that have not borne fruit," Abdul Aziz told Sinar Daily, highlighting the government's failure to deliver on its promises as a contributing factor to public dissatisfaction.

Aziz further noted the perceptible decline in the government's approval ratings, attributing it to unfulfilled promises that have disappointed the voters.

"The government's inability to fulfill its commitments has undermined public satisfaction," he added.

He also highlighted the unexpected magnitude of PH's decline in support, suggesting deeper underlying reasons behind this significant shift.

Meanwhile, political analyst James Chin provided an alternative perspective, downplaying Rafizi's role as a decisive factor in PH's diminishing support.

"I don't think the Rafizi factor is crucial. The by-election results reflect a voter reaction primarily driven by dissatisfaction with the government's mismanagement of subsidies," Chin said.

Chin also highlighted the predictable nature of the Opposition's retention of the seat, citing strong Malay support for Perikatan Nasional (PN) as a contributing factor.

"It's not surprising that the Opposition has retained the seat, given the strong backing from Malays for PN," he noted.

"The noteworthy aspect is the low turnout among Chinese and Indian voters, possibly due to discontent over subsidy policies," Chin added.

PN candidate Abidin Ismail was officially declared the winner of the Sungai Bakap state by-election, garnering a larger majority of 4,267 votes than his predecessor’s 1,563 votes.

Abidin, who is also the Nibong Tebal Pas vice-chief, managed to secure 14,489 votes against his challenger Joohari Ariffin’s 10,222 votes.

The announcement was made by returning officer Khairulnizam Hashim at the Jawi Multipurpose Hall in Nibong Tebal

Also present are Election Commission chairperson Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun and his deputy Azmi Sharom.