Real benefits better at winning votes than probes, says analyst
Academic Tawfik Yaakub says investigating agencies such as Felda and TH will have little impact on the sentiment of Malay voters.
Analyst Tawfik Yaakub of Universiti Malaya contends that showcasing tangible benefits to Felda settlers is a more effective strategy for the government to win over Malay voters than simply investigating the agency for misconduct. The Tabung Haji (TH) royal commission of inquiry report, released on July 29, three days prior to the Negeri Sembilan election, did not help Pakatan Harapan (PH) in securing victory.
Tawfik stresses that a more effective approach would involve introducing reforms to enhance income, governance, and economic opportunities for Felda settlers and their descendants, thereby fostering political trust. According to Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, probing Felda would likely yield limited impact on Malay voters, as lower-income Malays generally do not closely scrutinize such matters.
Instead, the government should concentrate on reforming Felda's system to address concerns that settlers feel are not adequately addressed.
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.
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