00:00Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim could not handle the concerns of East Malaysia, including freedom of religion,
00:08because he is trying to regain the support of Malay voters in Semenanjung, Malaysia, said analysts.
00:15James Chin from the University of Tasmania said Anwar is facing dilemmas in balancing this conflicted importance.
00:23He explained that Anwar lost the Malay vote to the National Union in Semenanjung
00:28and now needs to regain support by showing himself as an Islamic Malay fighter.
00:34Chin said Anwar could not openly support freedom of religion because it could weaken Malay support in Semenanjung.
00:42According to him, the best strategy is to remain silent and avoid discussing these issues too much.
00:50Chin expressed the statement of Sabah activist Johan Arifin Samad,
00:54who warned that the merger of the National Alliance of Hope could face difficulties in East Malaysia
01:00if the people's choice is surprised by an increasing sense of dissatisfaction
01:05towards the control of religious issues by the government.
01:10Meanwhile, Bil Cabala from the University of Sabah said that although Anwar and PHBN
01:16need to give support to freedom of religion and local rights,
01:20that alone is not enough because economic development, infrastructure and local issues also need to be addressed.
01:28Bil Cabala urged PHBN to adjust their approach earlier
01:33because the growing identity of East Malaysia and the urge to determine their own goals
01:39can lead to more focused politics in the region.
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