The coalition effectively used the corruption linked to the sovereign wealth fund to its advantage in the 2018 general election, with the public’s anger over the scandal leading to Barisan Nasional’s defeat after more than six decades in power.

However, Saifuddin said PH has to come up with strategies to face the public’s most pressing problems such as the increased cost of living if it wants to taste victory in GE15.

“Our stand is that to win the election, we can no longer count on sympathy for what we perceive is persecution against our president (Anwar Ibrahim) or issues such as GST (goods and service tax) or 1MDB,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the PKR Youth congress here today.

“To win, we have to provide solutions to the rakyat’s problems.”

He said such problems included the loss of income brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, and stressed that there had to be a renewed emphasis on reskilling and retraining workers who lost their jobs.

Apart from strengthening the social security net, he said, cash handouts would be a key short-term measure to address the rising cost of living, as opposed to subsidies.

Saifuddin noted that despite Malaysia’s farmers producing 70% of the country’s rice needs, their livelihoods had not improved over the years, adding that they were “very close to poverty”.

He said a key cause was the floor and ceiling price for rice, at RM1.20 and RM2.60 per kg, respectively.

“Conditions are also tougher now following the increased cost of fertiliser and pesticide due to the Russia-Ukraine war,” he said.

“Our offer is to immediately end this monopoly and open the ceiling price, which should be implemented on imported rice instead.”