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Thrown off by the Malaysian election result

I was one of those detractors who believed that veteran politician Mahathir Mohamad was done and was too old to win the general election in Malaysia, that Datuk Seri Najib Razak was pulling all the right levers of control that his mentor had created during his leadership.

Defying predictions, the opposition coalition led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad delivered dramatic results at the country’s general election.

Defying predictions, the opposition coalition led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad delivered dramatic results at the country’s general election.

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I was one of those detractors who believed that veteran politician Mahathir Mohamad was done and was too old to win the general election in Malaysia, that Datuk Seri Najib Razak was pulling all the right levers of control that his mentor had created during his leadership.

I was wrong.

There were many reasons given as to why Malaysians voted for a change. They included the rising cost of living, social inequality, corruption, and the seeming invincibility of Datuk Seri Najib and the ruling coalition.

The Internet and digital tools also lent a hand. Social media, messaging applications, blogs and websites, as well as the prevalence of smartphones made it easy for the masses to gather information to make their decisions.

What can we learn from the result?

First, it is important to connect, communicate and empathise with the voters.

Bread-and-butter issues cannot be ignored, be they cost of living, jobs, healthcare, housing and education.

Social justice is also important, and that means making sure the poor and underprivileged are given more-than-equal opportunities and support. This entails narrowing the income gap between the rich and the poor.

It counts to have a clean government that is devoid of corruption.

Let’s not forget brand equity, too. Former ruling coalition Barisan Nasional and its component parties are well-known brands that Malaysian voters were familiar with, until they ran up against another well-known brand name and a larger-than-life persona called “Mahathir”.

At the end of the day, political leaders serve to make the life of the electorate better. Whoever or whichever party can do this consistently will be able to win the hearts and votes of the public.

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