AFTER resigning from several positions in December 2018, PKR’s Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar has reappeared in the media limelight by publicly playing down Pakatan Harapan’s ambitions on retaking Putrajaya.

       The media had a field day playing up her comment – her honesty was deemed shocking, but refreshing.

       Nevertheless, top political party leaders in alliance with PKR were certainly not amused with the remarks from the “puteri reformasi”, which were seen as unfair and akin to pouring cold water on their hopes, especially since the 15th General Election (GE15) is much talked about now.

       Nurul Izzah said it would take up to a decade before Pakatan could return to Putrajaya.

       The first to respond to that was Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu, who said the prediction was the 41-year-old’s personal opinion.

       The next day, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke told a press conference that he disagreed with Nurul Izzah’s defeatist remarks, saying that Pakatan must aim for victory in GE15, even though the road ahead was an arduous one.

       Shortly after, Nurul Izzah attempted to play down the matter by saying that she will be “among the happiest in the country” if Pakatan manages to win the next general election.

       “The requirement is having a high voter turnout,” she said in a Facebook post on April 15.

       Despite criticism on her prediction, Nurul Izzah still has her supporters within PKR.

       For PKR vice-president Chang Lih Kang, Nurul Izzah’s comment should not be dismissed by the top leadership, as there has to be change from within the party with the general election just around the corner.

       “If things don’t change and we are entering the general election with an old framework, image, narrative and old ways of messaging, I’m not surprised if we take 10 years to recover.

       “I don’t think it’s a negative statement. I see it as a timely warning from a colleague that we need to heed. We shouldn’t be complacent nor in state of denial,” said Chang, who is Tanjung Malim MP.

       Voter turnout has gradually decreased, as seen in the Melaka election in November last year, which recorded a 65.85% turnout, followed by the Sarawak election the following month that saw only 60.67% of those eligible coming out to vote.

       The turnout took an even bigger dive in last month’s Johor election, which recorded an all-time low of 54.92%.

       Barisan Nasional won a two-thirds majority in the Melaka and Johor elections with the low voter turnout, while the same scenario played out in Sarawak, where Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) won 76 out of the 82 state seats.

       Analysts have warned that Pakatan’s disastrous outing in Melaka, Sarawak and Johor could be replicated in GE15 if the turnout remained low and should the Opposition remain disunited.

       Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said on Monday that June would the best time for GE15 to be held, as party members were feeling the enthusiasm following Barisan’s landslide victory in Melaka and Johor.

       PKR’s Subang MP Wong Chen disagreed that Nurul Izzah was a defeatist. He described the mother of two as a fighter ever since the Reformasi movement started in 1998.

       “Defeatism is not part of her character, therefore her comment is probably perceived out of context.

       “I think she is voicing real concerns after three state election defeats, with the intention of urging us on the need to change and work harder so as to win back political support,” said Wong.

       Kapar MP Datuk Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid, said Nurul Izzah had the right to comment about Pakatan, but he pointed out that history had shown that if Pakatan worked hard, it could prevail, no matter how tough the situation.

       Abdullah Sani, who is on the PKR central leadership council and is eyeing one of the four vice-president posts in the party polls next month, gave an example of the 2008 general election, in which Pakatan managed to deny Barisan a two-thirds majority for the first time in history, when it succeeded in echoing the sentiments of most Malaysians about the rising cost of living.

       “To me, anyone can make a statement or give an opinion, but you shouldn’t generalise and you cannot say that fence sitters don’t come out and vote because they are fed up with politics. With the tabling of the anti-party hopping law in Parliament, the trust and the mood is there,” he said.

       Abdullah Sani said it was extremely crucial for Pakatan leaders to work hard in convincing Malaysians to come out and vote.

       “Show them that we are united.

       “All leaders must play their roles and carry out their responsibilities, instead of condemning and blaming one another,” he added.

       Dr Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, regarded the outspokenness of young politicians as a “generational gap” issue.

       “New generation of politicians from both sides of the political divide are often quite forthright and open about their views, whether or not such views are congruent with the official line of the party.

       “As we evolve, political parties have to get used to this.

       “Otherwise, they would become increasingly irrelevant to an electorate that has also come to expect blunt statements from politicians,” he said.

       So far, Nurul Izzah has not backed down from her remarks.

       Her Facebook post on April 15 indicated that she knew her words had ruffled the feathers of those in the same coalition as PKR.

       Indeed, politicians like Nurul Izzah have every right to express themselves, but perhaps some thoughts are best articulated behind closed doors, lest it is seen as handing over a knife to the enemy as some words can be cutting.