Analysts: BN in urgent need of rebranding

comments     Mohd Hisham Abdul Rafar, Bernama     Published     Updated

The Barisan Nasional’s (BN) victory in the Rompin by-election on May 5 is nothing to shout about, let alone elicit the slightest sense of satisfaction.

Political observers generally feel that the BN should learn a lesson or two from the lower majority obtained by its candidate, Hasan Arifin, as it has set alarm bells ringing of an imminent political tsunami.

Nevertheless, for any political party or coalition, including the BN, winning any by-election is significant as it reflects voter support. But a far more important task awaits the coalition - it has to ensure that it has the full support of the rakyat before the 14th general election takes place.

In the context of politics, politicians cannot gauge the level of support enjoyed by their parties based on the number of people attending their talks or programmes as the crowds that turn up at these events do not necessarily translate into votes during elections.

Necessary for BN to rebrand itself

Political analysts were of the view that the BN has to embark on a rebranding exercise in order to win the hearts of voters.

The question is, how will the BN rebrand itself?

Assocuate Prof Mohd Izani Mohd Zain, a lecturer with Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Department of Government and Civilisation Studies, said the rebranding of BN would allow the 13-member coalition to remain relevant and be well-equipped to fend off future challenges.

BN consists of Umno, MIC, MCA, Gerakan, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Progresif Penduduk (PPP), Parti Demokratik Liberal (LDP), Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), Pertubuhan Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Bersatu (Upko), Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Parti Demokratik Progresif Sarawak (SPDP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak (SUPP).

Work on the new branding exercise should be done quickly and holistically, said Mohd Izani, adding that the BN components should refrain from merely focusing on improving their party image and slogans to attract voters.

“In rebranding itself, it’s important for any party to switch its leadership style and approach to one that is service-oriented. Besides that, the party should also strengthen the essence of its struggle,” he told Bernama.

Some analysts felt that the BN's preoccupation with rebutting various allegations by the opposition parties and its inability to explain in detail policies implemented by the government were causing dissatisfaction among the people.

Che Hamdan Che Mohd Razali, a political science lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Dungun, Terengganu, said the BN and component party leaderships should make every effort to reach out to the people, instead of just proclaiming their parties’ transformation slogans, which he described as merely cosmetic and only served to erode the people’s confidence in the parties concerned.

“The leaders should fulfil the promises they had made to the people. The elitist image portrayed by certain leaders has had a negative impact on their party. What more, with the advancements in information technology, current issues and image matters can be easily and quickly disseminated widely. Most importantly, BN leaders should prove that the coalition is there to serve all the people,” he said.

Offer service-oriented political ‘products’

Although the victory at the recent by-election in the Rompin Parliamentary constituency in Pahang can be described  as a ‘gift’ to Umno in conjunction with its 69th anniversary on Monday, the reduced majority is a cause for concern.

So is the BN’s failure to endear itself to the voters of Permatang Pauh, despite fielding a young candidate, Suhaimi Sabudin ( photo ), in the by-election in Penang on May 7.

What sort of a signal are the voters trying to transmit to the ruling government?

Mohd Izani said the significant decline in the Rompin by-election majority and the Permatang Pauh defeat should be viewed seriously by the BN. He warned of a further cut in the majority in Rompin in the next general election if the BN failed to address the various pressing issues adequately.

He said in Permatang Pauh, the BN should play the role of an effective opposition, which was capable of providing good services to the constituents.

“Eventually, the people will recognise the services rendered by BN. It should not punish the people there just because they rejected BN in Permatang Pauh.

“BN should prove that although it is in the opposition camp (in Penang), it can still contribute. The perception of the opposition in Malaysian politics must be corrected in order to produce an effective opposition,” he said.

In the 13th general election in May 2013, the BN won 133 parliamentary and 275 state legislative assembly seats. The election also saw Pakatan Rakyat retaining Penang, Selangor and Kelantan, while the BN wrested Kedah from the opposition, which had won the state in the previous general election in 2008.

Che Hamdan said the run-up to the recent by-elections saw the BN in defensive mode, giving the coalition's election machinery hardly any time to clearly explain the issues that had arisen then.

“Issues such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) have made a significant impression on the people and it showed in the by-election results.

“The results are a clear sign that those issues had affected the people’s living standards and BN was perceived as the ‘cause’ of their burden. Consequently, the voters sent out the signal that if the BN doesn’t have what it takes to fulfil the needs of the masses, they will retaliate with protest votes,” he said.

   

BN'’s political marketing

The political rivalry between the BN and the opposition coalition can be likened to the stiff competition among conglomerates in the business arena, where their performance is hinged on the strategies they take, especially in the marketing of their products.

Can the BN market its ‘political products’ effectively?

First and foremost, pointed out Che Hamdan, the coalition had to be sincere about the ‘products’ it wished to market to the people.

“The component parties must be seen as being sincere to the groups they are targeting at. How can the ‘products’ be marketed effectively when certain quarters are seen to be giving contrasting information to the top leadership and, at the same time, not orienting the ‘products’ they are selling towards the people.

“Consequently, the top leadership will find itself without the authentic support of its so-called supporters. BN must also rejuvenate its ‘products’, hence senior leaders must be prepared to make way for younger leaders, who are more energetic and better attuned to current ‘market trends’,” he said.

- Bernama

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