Kuala Lumpur – The resignation of Perikatan Nasional (PN) leaders in response to the coalition’s defeat in the Kuala Kubu Bharu by-election will not change the situation, according to former Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Edmund Santhara Kumar.
Dr. Santhara emphasized that the opposition’s loss in the by-election had no direct connection to PN Chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin or PAS President Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang. He noted that ethnic sentiments continue to influence voter behavior despite attempts to downplay this factor.
“Last Saturday, PN lost because nearly 45 percent of Indian voters did not turn out, even though they were dissatisfied with Pakatan Harapan (PH). Why didn’t they vote? This is what we need to diagnose and find answers to, rather than urging leaders to resign,” he said.
Santhara was responding to calls from former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim for Muhyiddin and Abdul Hadi to step down following the opposition’s defeat. Zaid argued that PN failed to capture the Kuala Kubu Bharu state seat because it did not offer anything that could secure the voters’ future.
Commenting on this, Santhara, a former PKR leader, stated that Chinese voters are firmly aligned with the DAP, regardless of the circumstances. He explained that this is not a racist statement but a well-known fact, noting that Malay votes have been split since many shifted to PN in the 15th General Election (GE-15).
“Calling for these two leaders to resign is a shallow and unconstructive viewpoint,” he added.
Santhara also highlighted the widespread rumors during the campaign period that Indian voters would boycott the Kuala Kubu Bharu by-election, despite these claims being denied by certain parties.
“Where did those 45 percent of Indian voters go? Why didn’t they vote? Where was the mistake? Indian community support has slowly been shifting towards PN – PH at a ratio of 60 – 40 after various statements from top leaders in the unity government, including calls for the Indian community not to envy the privileges of other races. During PH’s administration, many statements hurt this community, leading to dissatisfaction. We need to uncover and scrutinize the truth behind these issues. Pointing fingers is the easy way out,” he said.
According to official data, voter turnout rates by ethnicity in the recent Kuala Kubu Bharu by-election were as follows: 41 percent for Malays, 31 percent for Chinese, 44 percent for Indians, and 13 percent for others. – MalayaDailyToday
