Waiting for the day that top BN leaders stand in urban seats and PH in rural ones
If top leaders of a political bloc represent largely rural seats, they will tend to play to that gallery at the expense of urban sentiments.
(MalaysiaNow) – Why is it that, come general elections, top Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders almost always stand in rural or semi-rural seats while their Pakatan Harapan (PH) counterparts contest in urban ones?
This perception is so ingrained that when Khairy Jamaluddin was fielded in urban Sungai Buloh for the upcoming general election, some pundits felt that the health minister was sent there to meet his political Waterloo.
This has been the trend for the longest time now, and not a particularly healthy one. This election, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is defending his Bagan Datuk seat; Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Bera; MCA president Wee Ka Siong, Ayer Hitam; and MIC president SA Vigneswaran, Sungai Siput. These are all non-urban seats.
On the other end of the spectrum, Anwar Ibrahim is standing in Tambun, just outside Ipoh city, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke is in Seremban, and Amanah president Mohamed Sabu is in Kota Raja, which is adjacent to Shah Alam and Klang.
This is why Khairy deserves the utmost respect for his courage to move from his rural Rembau where he was the MP for two terms to Sungai Buloh, located just outside Kuala Lumpur.
But why does it matter where top leaders stand? It does because it affects policy decisions and political leanings that can have a far-reaching impact on our country’s future.
