Middle class can help change govt, says academic

Universiti Malaya’s Edmund Terence Gomez says with proper policies Pakatan Harapan can attract the disenchanted middle class and the rural poor.

Edmund Terence Gomez (far right ) at the forum last night . Also present was DAP Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim ( extreme left)

PETALING JAYA: A prominent economics professor is convinced the Malaysian middle class can help bring about a change in government, provided the opposition comes up with policies that “inspire confidence”.

Universiti Malaya’s Edmund Terence Gomez said Pakatan Harapan must show how it intended to spur economic growth, carry out education reforms and reduce poverty, among other things, to attract the disenchanted middle class as well as the rural poor.

“We want to know your big ideas? Policies that give us a sense of hope,” he told the audience at a forum titled “Can the Middle-Class Save Malaysia” here last night.

Gomez, who is a political economy lecturer, also said that apart from the middle class – which he defined as those who had a good education – the right policies would also woo the youth and the rural poor.

Failure to come up with such ideas, Gomez said, could see voters remain with the Barisan Nasional, as voters would compare policies offered by both coalitions.

He went on to cite the PAS-led Kedah state government which was voted out in the last general election as an example of what would happen if policies were left wanting.

“If the opposition can get that (policies) right, I think that it will swing a lot of votes, especially in marginal areas.”

Gomez also said that the 2008 and 2013 general election results showed that the middle class was ready for a change.

Such a sentiment, he said, was also reflected in the number of people who turned up for the rallies organised by Bersih 2.0, an electoral reform group.

In the 12th general election, Barisan Nasional lost control of four states, namely Penang, Selangor, Perak and Kedah, and while the ruling coalition won the following GE in 2013, it only managed to secure a minority of the popular vote: 49% to Pakatan Rakyat’s 51%.

“The middle class can be an important tool for change because it is a well informed, educated community, but you need to have the right policies to attract them.”

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Sumber Middle class can help change govt, says academic

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