PETALING JAYA: It is quite common for Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders to make claims that it will be able to win back the hearts and minds of Penangite, says analysts.
Analysts also pointed out that not even the ongoing corruption trial of former chief minister and DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng was strong enough to loosen the party’s 14-year grip on the island state since it ousted the Gerakan government in the 2008 general election.
A well-known commentator on social and political issues, Vincent Thock Kiah Wah told The Malaysian Insight that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s recent claim was merely lifting MCA’s morale.
“It is a state (Penang) that is doing well. So to BN, for DAP to continue to be in power for three terms in a row, is just not palatable.
“That’s the reason why Ismail is making the claim. However, I do not share his optimism.
“In the 14 years DAP has been in power, it had earned a good reputation as a good administrator, had brought economic growth to the state. The party is also admired for having policies that take care of all ethnic groups,” Thock told the portal.
Political analyst and veteran newsman Cheah See Kian said so far, there are no signs that BN’s big three – Umno, MCA and MIC – have what it takes to take Penang.
“DAP today is unlike the DAP of the past. In the past, the party was one of dynamism and impetus, easily gaining the support of voters.
“But the last general election showed that electorates believe all parties, irrespective of which side of the political divide they are in, are the same.
“People’s expectations are not fulfilled. Simply put, voters now feel that it makes no difference if they go out and vote or not because it does not change anything,” he reportedly said.
