Voters no longer taken in by ‘sunset parties’ like SWP and Pakatan — Abd Karim

January 13, 2014

SIBU: Political maturity among Malaysians is high, and political parties that emerge when an election is near will be sent packing.

PBB supreme council member Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said this was because voters, whether in urban or rural areas, could not be easily hoodwinked nowadays.

“The people are already familiar with the political culture of some parties. They appear only when the election is near, and they (people) would reject them.

“Voters are now able to evaluate and do their own analysis of the objectives and struggles of each party and their leaders,” Abdul Karim, who is Assistant Minister of Youth Development and Asajaya assemblyman, told The Borneo Post yesterday.

He was commenting on news reports yesterday that Sarawak Workers Party (SWP) considered Pakatan Rakyat (Pakatan) as a potential working partner to serve as an ‘alternative voice’ for the people.

SWP president Larry Sng said working with Pakatan Rakyat (PR) was one of his party’s “top priorities”, especially after the 13th general election in May last year.

Sng added that it was essential for the people to have an alternative voice, and SWP could work closely with Pakatan towards this end.

   

Abdul Karim said SWP could gel with any party or group as Malaysia is a democratic country.

“By gelling with Pakatan, or specifically with the DAP, I am unsure who will be riding on who … SWP riding on DAP or vice-versa.

“A very high likelihood is that it is the DAP riding on SWP in its attempt to make headway into the rural areas. Reason being that SWP has its history of incorporation and support originating from the interior…if the last general election seats where SWP contested are used as a guideline.

“I am most confident that voters, whether urban or rural, are not easily hoodwinked by beautiful slogans, goodies, promises and the many ‘ifs’ these sunset parties gave to the people.”

Kakus assemblyman and Assistant Minister of Local Government Datuk John Sikie Tayai said he was not at all surprised by SWP’s move.

“Alone, they know they could not get anything, and it is proven in the last state and general elections,” Sikie, who is also PRS vice-president, noted.