A RATHER vague and poorly-worded statement by PAS Selangor on X (formerly Twitter) has given detractors the chance to poke fun at the Islamist party.
The said statement seems to allude to the difficult business climate faced by traders at many Ramadan bazaars.
PAS Selangor meniaga apa tuan puan? pic.twitter.com/WEfEl6NSSV
— YB Kegembiraan (@ybgembira) April 2, 2024
Content purportedly showing tonnes of unsold wares at these bazaars have been making the rounds on social media with trader complaining of escalating prices of raw materials and overheads impacting their profit margins.
The statement by PAS Selangor reflects that sentiment claiming that weekend trade at these bazaars was bringing in less than half the sales experienced last year.
The post was shared by X user @ybgembira who asked what was PAS “selling”? These are some of netizen’s reactions and comments, many of which were obviously made by the party’s detractors.
One netizen’s clever pun highlighted the party’s seeming obsession for calls of boycott and harping on the bak kut teh (herbal pork rib soup) issue.
Another mockingly said PAS were selling saddles, reflecting the view that the party were “riding” on the back of religion for its populist appeal.
Many echoed this sentiment that PAS were simply using religion to further their agenda, with some saying people were fed up with this approach.
Some netizens joked that the post was not about traders but the collection “Milo” tins for the party at the Ramadan bazaars that has seen a dip in takings.
One netizen called out the opposition tactic of using poor business at these Ramadan bazaars as a stick to beat the government of the day; highlighting that cost-conscious consumers are now savvy enough to seek out better bargains.
Expounding on the same theme, another netizen said many businesses were not tech-savvy and are being left behind, using obsolete mobile phone maker Nokia as a cautionary tale.
Another hinted that these Ramadan bazaars are losing out to other platforms and even shopping malls, especially among younger consumers.
Another asked what was the problem here? A downturn in sales means renewed business strategies were called for.
More than few took the opportunity to chide the party on the shockingly low-levels of pay dished out to “volunteer” teachers in the PAS-ruled states, contending that obviously such “volunteers” could not afford the Ramadan bazaars.
Some claimed that the opposition bloc was quick to spread mis-information and lies even during the holy month of Ramadan.
It is evident from the comments that @ybgembira’s page was followed mainly by the anti-PAS faction who could not pass up the opportunity to deride the Islamist party.
Some were simply scathing in their criticism calling out the party for its tactics.
While the comments reflect the poster’s political leanings, it also shows that many citizens do not buy into PAS rhetoric, especially when held up to the harsh light of economic realities.
There is only so much blame the party can lay at the door of other communities and / or political parties before it begins to sound tired and stale.
The current tough economic climate may require a change in tactics for PAS lest it wants to be relegated back to its previous “mosquito party” status that offered no real solutions to citizen’s everyday struggles. – April 4, 2024
