Pundits dismiss claim Harapan won KKB due to civil service salary hike

Two pundits have dismissed assertions that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement of an impending pay hike for civil servants had played a deciding role in securing Malay support for Pakatan Harapan in Kuala Kubu Baharu yesterday.

Instead, they cited a mix of greater confidence in the government and legwork from Umno as key factors that helped Harapan and DAP retain the seat via its candidate Pang Sock Tao.

For Mazlan Ali, a political analyst from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Razak Faculty Perdana Centre, civil servants have regained trust in