The Malaysian Insight

FORMER Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli is sometimes right, and also, wrong, said Bersatu strategist Dr Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff after the PKR man warned Pakatan Harapan about a drop in its approval ratings amid talk that it would take in more Umno defectors.

Rais said Rafizi’s claims could be taken as an early warning sign, but questioned the methodology behind the “polls” that the latter said showed Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s approval rating has dropped almost 20% in the past few months.

The polls are “unclear, and at best, murky”, said Rais.

“Sometimes, he gets it correct, other times, he gets it wrong, like his findings on PAS pre-14th general election, when he predicted zero seats for them based on his polls.”

The strength of any research or survey is contingent on its methodology, he said, as there could be an “outcome-based research” or a “research-based outcome”.

“In the former, one would want to control narratives by predetermining the outcome, then justifying it through research verbosity.”

Rafizi, who heads PKR-linked pollster Invoke Malaysia, yesterday said Dr Mahathir’s approval rating as prime minister plunged to 53% in the past six months, down 19% from the 72% recorded in June.

He said the drop is largely due to the people’s disappointment with PH for failing to reduce the cost of living and fulfil its election promises.

Rafizi also told PH to stop engineering the defection of MPs from Umno to bolster Malay support for the ruling pact, as this could lead to disenchanted Malay fence-sitters throwing their support behind PAS in GE15.

Rais acknowledged the need for PH to focus on getting the economy and its policies right, and not rest on its laurels.

“As things stand, PH… should be focused on getting the economic statecraft right. The ship is listing.

“If Dr Mahathir, who got PH on a dry path on May 9, is being deeply affected, too, with his popularity diving by almost 20%, as claimed by Rafizi, in each state, then the PH policies at the federal or state level are not working.”

Rais did not dispute Rafizi’s concerns about the risks to PH should it allow in Umno defectors, urging the coalition to impose conditions on those seeking to cross over.

These include barring them from leadership positions, and compelling them to declare their personal and family wealth.

However, social media users do not seem to appreciate Rafizi’s open criticism of PH.

Citizen (@citizenmalaysia) sarcastically said: “Noted Prof Rafizi – the man who is good at theories, but failed in actual practical world. Your surveys are reactive that you failed to turn them around as predictive indicators. So what’s next prof?”

Edya (@Eyda40382969) said Rafizi’s own rating has plunged, adding that the people do not trust him as much nowadays.

“Furthermore, he had a bad attitude when he was fighting (Mohamed) Azmin (Ali). And Invoke’s study on how PH would take Kelantan and Terengganu in GE14 was way off.”

In the last PKR polls, Rafizi attempted to wrest the deputy presidency from Azmin, but ended up losing to the latter.

Invoke had predicted that PAS would lose all its seats in Kelantan, the Islamist party’s traditional stronghold. However, it won 37 of Kelantan’s 45 state seats, and nine of its 14 parliamentary seats.

A.Z.R. Ishak (@CATA_Aust_Pilot) slammed former PKR vice-president Rafizi for “always stirring up problems”.

“Yes but since then Rafizi’s attitude stinks after May 9. What happened? Whacking ministers and wreaking havoc in PKR? Pity.

“...He was good but he is bad now, slamming leaders left and right. Just give them a chance. BN had 60 years and nothing much to show for other than taking commissions out of non-tender projects and enriching the branch leaders.”

I Am Just A Number Now (@X606071) said: “Though I see what Rafizi is doing i.e. playing the role as private citizen ‘ombudsman’, BUT he still irritatingly comes up appearing to be a smart alec with ulterior motives.”

Rafizi is known to have backed PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, who is poised to take over as prime minister in about two years’ time. It is not the first time he has openly made statements that hit out at the PH administration and Dr Mahathir.

In May, shortly after PH won Putrajaya, Rafizi accused Dr Mahathir of bulldozing the appointments of the finance, defence and home ministers without the consensus of PH components.

The three senior posts went to DAP, Amanah and Bersatu. – December 20, 2018.