Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Umno Treasurer Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak has sounded a warning against placing too much reliance on slogans to raise political support.
In a Facebook post, the former Sabah Chief Minister said political slogans lose their meaning if they do not match the reality of daily life.
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“Branding shapes initial perceptions, but the public evaluates the Government based on ‘lived experience’ such as cost of living, employment opportunities and integrity in governance.
“In the end, lived reality remains the key determinant of political support,” he said.
Salleh reviewed the use of slogans from the time of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, when political branding became more structured.
Political slogans had evolved from simple and broad expressions of national spirit into strategic communication tools.
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“Slogans such as ‘Clean, Efficient, Trustworthy’, ‘Malaysia Boleh’, ‘Vision 2020’ and ‘Leadership by Example’ helped shape narratives of development and administrative ethics.
“Abdullah Ahmad Badawi continued by introducing the concept of Islam Hadhari, which emphasised values, balance and ethical governance,” he said.
He added that Najib Razak’s government made more comprehensive use of branding through “1Malaysia” and transformation agendas such as the Economic Transformation Programme, Government Transformation Programme and Transformasi Nasional 2050.
In Mahathir’s second tenure, the “New Malaysia” concept emphasised narrative institutional reform, despite the absence of a dominant slogan, while Muhyiddin Yassin’s government introduced the concept of Prihatin and the slogan “Kita Jaga Kita” in a time of crisis.
Additionally, he said the era of Ismail Sabri Yaakob introduced Keluarga Malaysia, followed by Anwar Ibrahim with Malaysia Madani.
