KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan's (PH) missteps during the Sungai Bakap by-election campaign contributed to their loss in the July 6 polls, says a DAP leader.
Ong Kian Ming, the Selangor DAP treasurer cited the failure to counter narratives surrounding the rising cost of living and poor communication on policies and issues including rationalisation of subsidies and the privatisation of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad.
"There was also the unfortunate use of derogatory remarks by PKR elections campaign director Rafizi Ramli against the opposition," he said in a statement.
"(There was also) the unnecessary playing up of the differences in academic qualifications of the PH candidate versus the Perikatan Nasional candidate."
The former Bangi member of Parliament said these missteps exacerbated the already challenging political and economic landscape for the unity government at the national level.
Ong said the fall in the non-Malay voter turnout also reflected growing disappointment among the Chinese and Indian communities towards the government.
He estimated that in the 2023 state elections, voter turnout among the Malays and non-Malays stood at 78 per cent and 73 per cent respectively.
In Saturday's by-election, that figure was 76 per cent and 46 per cent respectively.
"With this difference in voter turnout, the Sungai Bakap seat effectively went from a 60 per cent Malay seat to a 70 per cent Malay seat."
He warned that if the trend continued, a sizeable number of marginal seats PH won in the 15th General Election and the Umno-held seats may be lost to PN.
"The lower turnout as a protest vote among the non-Malays and the slight shift in the non-Malay vote towards PN should be a warning sign to PH, and Umno.
"If the key parties within the Madani government do not heed these warning signals, these trends will likely worsen, and the point of no return may be crossed well before the next general election.
On Saturday, PN retained the Sungai Bakap seat in Penang. Its candidate Abidin Ismail obtained 14,489 votes, defeating Pakatan Harapan's Dr Joohari Ariffin, who gained 10,222 votes.