Taking aim with hot-button topics

PETALING JAYA: When campaigns finally kick off for the 15th General Election (GE15), one can expect a host of hot topics to feature at ceramah and political rallies, say analysts.

These would include floods, political disunity, local and national issues, and former attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas, they added.Political observers said potential candidates across the divide had already hinted at where they would be aiming their ammunition.

Dr Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said this could be seen from several issues raised by both sides recently.

“It seems that Barisan Nasional will be relying on the controversy surrounding former attorney general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas and the loss of Batu Puteh.

“This will include reminding voters of Pakatan Harapan’s weaknesses during its 22-month administration,” he said when contacted yesterday.

The former AG ran into controversy following the publication of his memoir My Story: Justice In The Wilderness last year, which drew brickbats from various quarters for allegedly containing elements of incitement, insult and libel.

More than 100 police reports were lodged against Thomas over his book, with a special task force set up to probe the matter.

In a statement on Sept 30, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Thomas would be investigated over the contents of his controversial book.

Meanwhile, on Monday, senior Umno politician Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said urged for the task force findings on Batu Puteh to be made public while also calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to be set up.

The task force had indicated the possibility of negligence and mistakes made by then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad with regards to Singapore’s claim to Batu Puteh.

National Council of Professors member Prof Dr Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmod said the floods may be another hot topic in Opposition ceramah.

“We have seen sporadic flooding in a few places over the last few days and the worst is yet to come.

“Floods are still a concern for many and once nomination and polling dates are decided on Oct 20, it may become a hot topic,” he said, when contacted yesterday.

On Oct 11, Klang MP Charles Santiago filed a suit to challenge the dissolution of Parliament on Oct 10 in a bid to stop the polls due to the rainy season and floods.

There has been criticism, particularly from the Opposition, that GE15 will be held at the onset of the monsoon period, which is expected to begin on Nov 15.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, in granting consent to Ismail Sabri to dissolve Parliament, wants the polls to be hastened due to the north-east monsoon season.

Prof Nik Ahmad also noted that PAS, a Perikatan Nasional coalition member, is likely to play on Umno’s failure to unite the Muslim community under the now defunct Muafakat Nasional pact.

“Of course, Umno will blame PAS for the breakdown of unity talks between the various Malay dominant parties,” he added.

Muafakat Nasional was a pact between Umno and PAS signed in September 2019 to unite Muslims for electoral purposes, but failed owing to the latter’s support of Perikatan.Universiti Sains Malaysia political science expert Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said Barisan would likely focus on achievements under Ismail Sabri, who is an Umno vice-president.

“Barisan will tout that this is the way forward. It will also use Pakatan’s 22-month rule as a reference point for its arguments against supporting the Opposition,” he said.

On the other hand, he said Pakatan would raise topics such as political integrity and crisis management during its ceramah.

“Whatever it is, I think both should avoid giving promises they can’t fulfil as voters are more literate and vocal now,” he added.

There had been claims by the Opposition that Umno was behind the push for snap elections as some of its leaders wanted to save themselves from criminal prosecution.

There had also been claims that Umno was power hungry, particularly party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who was allegedly eyeing the post of prime minister.

But on Sunday, Barisan said Ismail Sabri remained the coalition’s poster boy and candidate for prime minister in GE15.

Azmi Hassan, a senior fellow at the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research, said voters were already aware of these current topics, but would be more concerned about bread-and-butter issues.

“There should be a shift in the usual rhetoric during ceramah, which are nice to listen but bring no benefit to the nation or the rakyat.

“Voters should dictate the topics that candidates should be debating,” he said.

He added that issues such as the cost of living would likely be a hot topic in light of the dire global economic outlook next year.