A former PKR minister has urged caution when commenting on last weekend’s anti-Anwar Ibrahim rally, warning that careless remarks could be perceived as dismissive of public grievances.
Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who stepped down as minister of natural resources and environmental sustainability in May, cited as an example public comments on the rubbish left behind after the rally.
“Highlighting an issue such as the volume of garbage collected may appear trivial, but it risks being interpreted as belittling public concerns — and could even be perceived as carrying racial undertones,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“While that may not be the intention, politics is fundamentally about perception.”
Nik Nazmi’s statement came after a brief uproar in the Dewan Rakyat two days earlier over a claim by Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming that 20 tonnes of rubbish had been cleared following the “Turun Anwar” rally on July 26.
Nga said the figure was based on data provided by the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation, a government agency.
Nik Nazmi warned that such remarks could inadvertently generate sympathy for the rally’s organisers and divert attention from both the government’s openness and the weaknesses in the opposition’s arguments.
He added that the government should respond to criticism constructively rather than defensively, focusing on solutions to core issues such as the cost of living, social justice, and economic challenges.
“These issues will inevitably be racialised as part of efforts to sway voters,” he said.
“The future of this nation will not be built on rhetoric, but on honesty, hard work, and a willingness to listen.”
