00:00An analyst said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is unable to address East Malaysian concerns,
00:07including religious freedom, as he seeks to regain support among Malay voters in Peninsular Malaysia.
00:14James Chin of the University of Tasmania said Anwar faces a dilemma in balancing these competing
00:20interests. He said Anwar lost the Malay vote to Perikatan Nasional in Peninsular Malaysia,
00:26so he now needs to regain support by positioning himself as a Malay Muslim champion.
00:33Chin said Anwar cannot openly express support for religious freedom as it could weaken Malay
00:38support in the peninsula. He said Anwar's best strategy is to remain quiet and avoid discussing
00:44these issues too much. Chin was commenting on remarks by Sabah activist Johan Arifin Samad,
00:51who warned that the Pakatan Harapan Barisan National Alliance could struggle in East Malaysia
00:56if a snap election is called due to rising discontent over the federal government's
01:01handling of religious affairs. Meanwhile, Bilcer Bala of University Malaysia Sabah
01:07said while Anwar and PHBN must focus on religious freedom and local rights, this alone would be
01:13insufficient as economic development, infrastructure and local grievances must also be addressed.
01:20Bilcer urged PHBN to adjust its approach early as East Malaysia's growing identity
01:26and push for self-determination could lead to more regional-focused politics.
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