KUALA LUMPUR: Continued support for the unity government will hinge on the administration's ability to maintain a strong economic performance, says PKR deputy information chief Datuk R. Ramanan.

Ramanan said the government's ability to retain and increase support, particularly among the Malay voter base, will depend on the economy.

"Every government's performance is based on and hedged against the facts of the economy.

"No government in the world has ever maintained power while the economy is on a downward trend.

"The economy is a key factor in sustaining government stability," he told reporters after speaking at a Concorde Club event titled 'Whither the Madani Government at Mid-Term' at the Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur, here today (Aug 5).

The Concorde Club is a forum that brings together key policymakers with editors and senior journalists to discuss current issues.

The discussion was led by Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai.

Ramanan, who is also Deputy Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister, was responding to a question on the level of support for the Madani government in its one-and-a-half years in power.

He was also asked whether the government still had support from non-Malays.

Ramanan, who is Sungai Buloh member of parliament, said that in the 15th General Election (GE-15), many of the seats Pakatan Harapan won in Selangor were Malay-majority seats.

"Gombak, for example, is a seat with a large Malay majority, yet we won it," he said.

However, he also acknowledged that the government would not have been able to secure Selangor if it did not have the backing of the non-Malays.

"So if you say that support is dwindling, I wouldn't say it's dwindling. It is still (stable) at what it is," he said.

Ramanan was also asked about criticism over the government's communication strategy, and that it was losing ground to the opposition, especially on social media.

He noted that the government of the day would tend to rely on the mainstream media, sometimes at the cost of disregarding social media as an effective communication tool.

"You take it for granted and lose focus on having to do the hard work on social media.

"The opposition does not have the same apparatus as the government and has no choice but to rely on social media," he said.

He agreed that the government has to rethink its emphasis on the importance of social media as a communication tool.

"We cannot take for granted our stand once in government because we can very easily be not in government tomorrow," he said.

He noted that while the Communications Ministry plays a central role, it is also important for each ministry's communication unit to ensure accurate dissemination of information, especially when new initiatives are announced.

"To be fair to the Communications Ministry, it is crucial to have a network in place for every new initiative or launch.

"There should be a preparation phase where senior editors are informed ahead about upcoming issues (or launches)," he said.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/08/1087131/ramanan-economic-performance-key-continued-support-unity-govt