Arnold Puyok

1. What do you think will be the most important issue that the new government must address

Most pertinent are the issues of corruption and inefficiency in the administrative system. these have been entrenched for decades and are not easy to be uprooted. The new government will have to find ways how to establish a truly functioning administrative system.

2. What do you think is Barisan Nasional’s greatest strength?

The BN will bank on its incumbent status as ruling government. This means an easy access to state resources. furthermore, most of the rural voters remain loyal to BN. It is not easy to break this loyalty as the BN has cultivated the culture of dependency among the rural people through the award of subsidies and promotion of politics of development.

3. What do you think is Barisan Nasional’s greatest weakness?

Complacency, complacency and complacency

4. What do you think is Pakatan Rakyat’s greatest strength?

The emergence of progressive young leaders who are unafraid to speak the truth to power and PR’s multiracial appeal.

5. What do you think is Pakatan Rakyat’s greatest weakness?

Not all of the leaders in PR are serious in bringing about change. some are using PR for their political survival. In Sabah, for instance, old leaders emerge from the wilderness to join PR on the pretext of change but they offer no new ideas except lobbying to contest.

6. What is your hope for Malaysia?

A progressive and developed Malaysia led by a government that is truly accountable to the people.

Arnold Puyok is a political science lecturer at University Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sabah.

New Mandala is asking Malaysians and Malaysianists worldwide their views on the two coalitions vying for power at the 13th general election in Malaysia. Their responses are published unedited.