Lambang sendiri tak cukup, PKR perlu naratif kuat, kata penganalisis

Tawfik Yaakub berkata pengundi lebih dipengaruhi hala tuju politik, prestasi kerajaan, kepimpinan dan kualiti calon.

PKR requires a strong narrative and political rhetoric to win over voters, not just symbols, a political analyst has warned. While PKR Chairman for Pemuda Ahmad Danish Hairudin suggests the party employ its own PRN in the upcoming elections, starting with Melaka, a political commentator argues that this move alone will not suffice.

Analyst Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri notes that symbols alone cannot replace the need for a clear political agenda to present to voters. PKR needs a stronger narrative, as voters are voting for hope and the future, not nostalgia, he says. The party's defeat in the 2022 Johor PRN, where they only won one out of 20 contested seats, underscores the need for change.

Danish, representing Selangor, previously stated that it's time for the party to use its own PRN in the upcoming election, which could begin with Melaka. This move may have helped the party win over the majority of the people in 2018, when Pakatan Harapan (PH) with Bersatu led by former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad won the general election.

However, Tawfik Yaakub from Universiti Malaya points out that using the same PKR symbol can help strengthen the reformist identity and a sense of ownership among the base, but its impact on a wider voter base depends on how the strategy is communicated. Voters still see PKR as part of PH, regardless of the logo used, as the relationships between the component parties are more significant than a symbol on a ballot paper.

"The PKR symbol can strengthen the party's identity, but if not managed well, it could give the impression that PH is moving in different directions," he adds. However, Tawfik emphasizes that renaming cannot stop at simply exchanging logos, as voter decisions are also influenced by the government's performance, leadership, candidate quality, and organizational strength.

"Voters do not vote for symbols alone; they vote based on their perception of the party, leadership, candidates, and performance."

Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.