Control the media? We even give them massage chairs, Fahmi tells PKR congress

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil suggested that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) party will not resort to punitive measures against journalists, despite some within the party believing opposition rivals are winning the messaging battle through aggressive tactics. At the PKR national congress, Fahmi acknowledged the party's defeat in the recent Negeri Sembilan state election, which was blamed on the opposition's identity-driven campaign.

He argued that the party lost the communications war, leading voters to make decisions based on emotions rather than performance.

Fahmi jokingly revealed that PKR had treated press members more respectfully than previous governments, even providing them with massage chairs at the party's congress. He reminded the audience that their roots were in fighting against those who manipulated the press to attack their president. He noted that the press had previously reported being subjected to strict guidelines on what to write about the party's leadership, but now, they were treated with courtesy and even pampered with massage chairs.

PH lost the Negeri Sembilan state election after Barisan Nasional (BN) allied with Perikatan Nasional (PN) and gained a significant portion of the Malay vote. Analysts attributed the shift in voter dynamics, including lower turnout among Chinese voters and the rise of Indian voters, to the coalition's challenges. PH only won 11 out of the 36 state assembly seats, giving the BN-PN alliance a two-thirds majority.

Two prominent PH figures, former menteri besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun and senior minister Anthony Loke, were among those defeated.

Fahmi accepted responsibility for the poor showings, apologizing on behalf of PKR's central communications team. He pledged to improve the party's messaging strategy, particularly regarding the Anwar government's economic performance. He emphasized that although the government's administration had performed well economically, there was a disconnect between data and tangible results in the eyes of the public.

Fahmi urged the comms team to apologize and strive to enhance their strategy for better communication of the government's actions, hoping people would feel the government's impact in their daily lives.