There are too many grouses against the ruling Barisan Nasional’s (BN) government of the day, today, especially amongst the intellectually affluent, educated, political and internet savvy Malaysians. The snide salvos shot against the BN regime are getting more intense, although the majority of Malaysians are actually oblivion of the issues raised and attempted.
The fact still remains. There are no credible alternatives to BN. Many talk about some of the BN personalities being corrupted and abuse of power, but the Oppositions are not any better, even though they have never had any power yet; at national level (with the exception of PAS, in Kelantan, 1990 till present, and PBS, in Sabah, 1990-1999)!
Let’s take a closer look at the Oppositions.
DAP
The Democratic Action Party (DAP) was a spawn from Lee Kuan Yew’s PAP. When Singapore was admitted into the Federation of Malaysia, it was so clear Lee Kuan Yew was ambitious and wanted to gain control of the Federation. The PAP messed into mainstream Malaysian politics. They broke the gentlemen’s agreement between him and Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, First Prime Minister of Malaysia of PAP’s non interference into mainstream Malaysian politics. PAP however fielded 11 candidates in the 1964 General Elections.
When Singapore was expelled from the Federation in August 1965, the reminiscence of PAP were purposely left remained, personalities like Devan Nair (later became Singapore’s President) was to be a thorn against Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra’s administration. PAP connivingly activated its “political mines”, under the guise of Democratic Action Party (DAP). They had the same slogan, “Malaysian, Malaysia” as their PAP masters, earlier.
Although DAP professes multiracial socialist politics as their theme, in reality, nothing multiracial about their approach. The mainstay of DAP leadership had always been Chinese and so far, they have had no policy as a “Malaysian multiracial party”. For example, DAP do not have a policy how to deal with the under development state of the Malays, being the 60% of the population. No mention about how many Malays still require affirmative action on education, to alleviate their socio-economic woes. Instead, DAP have been seen as championing Chinese chauvinistic agenda like the vernacular school system, which many felt is the root of the digression in any national integration agenda.
So how could DAP calls itself “multiracial and champion of socialism” if they have no specific agenda or plan to address the needs of the Malays, being 60% of the population? On top that, DAP has constantly tried to challenge the ‘Special Malay Rights’ enshrined under Article 153 of the Federal Constitution. DAP systematically tried to ‘rudely’ defy a social contract agreed by all parties during the negotiations of independence.
Many good DAP leaders have fizzled out and faded away, even before they could complete their service to the rakyat. Why DAP stalwarts like Lee Lam Thye, Dr Kua Kia Soong, Kerk Kim Hock, Hu Sepang, Wee Choo Keong, Lee Ban Chien, Ronnie Liu, S K Soong, Teoh Teik Huat, Thing Chiek Ming, Lim Fui Ming, Fan Teng Yew, Sim Kwang Yang and Fung Ket Wing no longer in the mainstream menu of the party?
Why is it back to the Father, the Son and the dolly darling Daughter in law, over and over again? It only shows that DAP have been an avenue for this family to remain in power, indefinitely. Some might even say, it’s a revenue model for the family. Lim Kit Siang, who have been in direct control and power of the DAP since 1969 as the Secretary General, has been the Opposition Leader for almost 30 years (with the exception of 1999-2004, where Hj. Hadi Awang, PAS president assumed the position). During that same 38 years period, UMNO and MCA have had four different President. So did PAS.
Notably, Lim Kit Siang does not attack or take swipes against the Prime Minister and his family. It is so apparent. These are the abusive, opulence and excesses that so many talked about. So why is it that these people (Lim and family) never attack nor criticize the PM, the Son and the Son-In-Law?
(Is it because they want to be like the PAP Dynasty, Lee Kuan Yew, Lee Hsien Loong and Lee Hsien Yang and something Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Kamaluddin Abdullah and Khairy Jamaluddin is trying to emulate?)
DAP go around lambasting BN being a corrupt Government lead by corrupt leaders. Lets see how the DAP leaders themselves fair. Ask where did the monies collected for the “Free Lim Guan Eng” campaign went to? Why was it Lim Kit Siang instructed the monies collected be banked into Lim Guan Eng’s personal account and NOT party’s, even though monies were on raised on DAP platform?
No separations between Lim Kit Siang & Son Dynasty Esq. and party? Isn’t that corruption? In reality, DAP is actually nothing more than an ultra long 40 years straight running Chinese opera called “Father, Son and the dolly Daughter in law ONLY!” and its getting very stale. Constantly, Lim Kit Siang ‘begged’ the support of the Chinese, every time DAP face General Elections. Since 1986, too many ‘Tanjong’ projects launched (to wrestle Pulau Pinang from BN) and yet no results. Just to illustrate the tyranny of Lim Kit Siang, throughout the campaign for the ‘Tanjong III’ project during the 10th General Elections of April 1995, he potrayed himself as the “Robocop”! Its seems there are no measurement of deliverables to the empty promises and failed attempts of the DAP under Lim Kit Siang & Son Dynasty Esq.
PAS
Parti Islam Sa-Malaysia (PAS) started as Pan Malayan Islamic Party (PMIP) when the clerics committee in UMNO broke off and spawned into a political party in 1951. Some people say Hj Ahmad Fuad, the promoter of PMIP acted on the move, under specific instructions to weaken UMNO, being the united front of the Malays against British colonialisation ever since Malayan Union. When PMIP was succesfully formed and running, Hj Ahmad Fuad was rewarded with a comfortable pension as a Province Wellesley councillor. Coincidentally, UMNO changed it’s struggle, strategy and slogan from “Hidup Melayu” to “Merdeka”, clearly illustrating its independence quest in 1951, under the new leadership of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra taking over from Dato’ Onn Jaafar. Tunku managed to galvanized more ultra Malays and nationalism support amongst the Malays, like Dr. Ismail Abdul Rahman (later became Deputy UMNO President) and eventually successfully negotiated Malayan independence six years later.
PAS have not spared from their own internal issues. It is common knowledge that there exist a strong rivalry within PAS between the clerics and professionals, to gain control and spread their influence amongst the one million members.
The recent elevation of new breed of “young Turks” leaders such as Nasharuddin Md Isa, Dr. Hassan Mohd Ali, Mustaffa Ali and Husam Musa, et al, they have not been spared with much skepticisms and suspicions from their “old guard” hardliners and conservative leaders and members. Some say, many PAS leaders have embraced the bad habits that many UMNO leaders are known for; flashing their new found wealth and luxuries, such as lining up their Mercedes Benz saloons or top of the line Japanese SUVs in public and obviously this do not go well with some hardliners.
PAS internal issues had also focused on Kelantan and in general and the succession of plan for Kelantan is never a solution agreed wholesomely by the members in the state. The issues about PAS members and supporters from the other states were left unattended. The party mainstay are very much the simpleton folks of the Malay heartlands of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Perlis and North Perak.
There is the other issue about Islamization preached through firebrandism brought upon by PAS leaders who were educated in West Asia and Cairo, especially in the wake of Islamic political radicalism of the late 60s and 70s. Such notion were brought by leaders like Hj Hadi Awang. In 1981, he declared UMNO people as ‘infidels’, developed a new sense of radicalism in their political approach based on the teachings of Islam. This idea went a little too far that eventually, multi layer intepretations and lead into bloody incidents such as the Memali stand off in November 1985. The Al Maunah seizure of weapons from Lake Banding army post in August 2000 was a more recent one. Not all Muslims agree with Hj Hadi and his radical approaches. Infact, many said this would divide the Malays further. Despite all that, Hj Hadi was elected President of PAS after Fadhil Noor died.
PAS were never sparred from the inability to deliver empty promises too. Prior to Hj Hadi Awang’s success able to wrestle Terengganu from the clutches of BN at the 11th General Elections of November 1999, he promised would implement Hudud and Islamic law even before the sun rose the next day. Until 21 March 2004 when he lost the control of the state to BN under Idris Jusoh, he never did deliver his promise.
PAS’s unholy alliance with DAP does not actually attract a lot of thumbs up amongst the hardliners and conservative members and sympathizers. One of the main factor is that DAP has often being seen as ‘anti Islam’. The Chinese community also see this so-called ‘working relationship’ as DAP selling out to PAS’s Islamization Agenda, which some of them are really sensitive against.
PAS themselves have not been spared from the issues of corruption. Ask the Kelantanese PAS leaders what happened to the Lojing gross over over-logging issue? Isn’t that a clear indication of abuse of power, cronyism and corruption, under the PAS administration?
Also ask the PAS leaders what happened to the monies collected for “Tabung Bantuan Anak Yatim Memali”? Did any of the orphans from the 14 men killed in Memali Nov 1985 ever got any of the monies raised? http://fantrealika.tripod.com/memali3.htm
Islam regards embezzlement of the orphans’ monies as one of the seven deadly sin. For the poeple who goes around with the slogan “Membangun bersama Islam”, their corruption also against God al Mighty.
The Oppositions today do not have a rallying point and a point where the different parties willing to compromise and work together. They don’t have a personality who could be the rallying point. Once, for a brief moment , they had Tengku Tan Sri Razaleigh Hamzah. Even that could never work, properly. Now that Semangat 46 has been dissolved and Tengku Razaleigh and most of his followers returned back to UMNO, who else?
Anwarista
Anwar Ibrahim, someone said? Machap was the most recent indication. His last minute campaigning did very little help in the by election. Anwar is no longer a worthy brand to rally political consumerism agenda. See how many people attended any of his ceramah nowadays. Get real. His rhetorics no longer excite the fence sitters. The 50,000 people who rallied in Masjid Negara on 20 Sept 1998 have ALL GONE!
So did Chandra Muzaffar, Ruslan Kassim, Marina Yusuf, Lukman Noor Adam. Jomo K Sundram etc. Soon to go is Ezam Md Nor. Even the Mighty Zainur Zakaria, the lawyer who fought tooth and nail for him has left! Rahim King also gone. Only has beens and frustrated personalities like Dato’ Kamarul Bahrin, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Dato’ Nalla Karupan still rally behind Anwar.
The first to go was actually Kamaruddin Jaafar. He left the moment the ship sank.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) today is a merger of Parti Keadilan Nasional (PKN), formed for “Free Anwar Movement” idealism and Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM). PRM itself was a merger between Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia (PSRM) and earlier merger of Parti Rakyat and Parti Buruh. As a multiracial party (like the DAP, they too claimed so), they have complex racial issues also, still unable to be resolved, even after several years. For example, the upcoming by election in Ijok, the Indian members insisted that an Indian candidate represent PKR in that by election. They also have others issues with the pro Islamist members, who were Jemaah Islam Malaysia (JIM) and Muslim Youth Movement (ABIM) people, once a backbone of Anwar’s support and pillar of his influence.
So what is left on the polling menu? The Oppositions can’t even get their FIRST ACT right and working, how could they manage the next step? Absolutely, impossible!
Unifying Factor
The truth is, the Oppositions will never get it right because even when they were working together, they managed to agree to sleep on the same pillow but everyone have adverse dreams. It is like climbing different walls, at once. DAP, under Lim Kit Siang & Son Dynasty Esq, not ready to shed its Chinese chauvinistic and anti Islamic approach and objectives and PAS will never drop its goal to set up an Islamic country, based on the laws formed under the direct principles and explicit references of Al Quran and Hadith. Those the were just fundamentals. The more they lay things down on the table, the wider the realistic co-operation gap will be.
Any real and workable co-operation would able to be sustained, especially DAP and PAS unable to find a middle point and the political will to compromise, as the two hardliners do not trust each other. Maybe they could agree not contest against each other in any poll but the working machinery at grass root level is doubtful. Those are BN’s success stories, anywhere.
The closest co-operation the Oppositions ever got was Gagasan Rakyat, an alternative front against UMNO consisting Semangat 46, PAS, DAP, PBS and KIMMA in 1990. All of that had a unifying factor and a great personality as point of reference. Tengku Tan Sri Razaleigh Hamzah stood as a leader who gained a lot of respect, from the political parties and even the rakyat, especially the Malays. That was the only point where BN almost lost and Malaysia almost had another government. Now the YBM has been back in UMNO for the last eleven years and his party dismantled. The Opposition has no real unifying point for the rakyat to rally.
Oppositions’ Performance
One of the best indications about Oppositions’ chance in any General Elections is to analyse their past performances. DAP in the current term has 12 seats in the 219 seats Dewan Rakyat. PAS has six. Not even worth to mention PKR. The rest are simply too neglible.
The best DAP ever did was 24 seats in the 8th General Election in August 1986. Even that, because almost all the MCA sponsored and managed deposit taking co-operatives went belly up and too many Malaysian Chinese lost a good chunk of their life savings. MCA also had a very chronic internal politics during that period. Of course, there was a long running economic recession during that period.
The best PAS ever did was the 11th General Elections, November 1999. They managed to win 27 seats and even took a second state under their control, Terengganu. The single main factor was the fury brought upon the Malays against then Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s handling and accusations against his Deputy, Anwar Ibrahim’s dismissal from office and the sodomy charge.
At the present term, BN controls 199 of the 219 seat Dewan Rakyat. That is almost absolute power. Let’s do the math. Even if at best, when all the factors are against BN and Oppositions managed to deliver over 100% performance, the best DAP can wrestle is between 25-30 seats. PAS, also 25-30 seats and PKR, if lucky (that’s really, really lucky!), manage five. That is only 55 seats. Alright, performing at 120%, maybe 60 seats. That means BN will scoop the ‘remaining’ 159 seats. To deny BN 2/3 majority at 145 seats, the Oppositions must win at least 74 seats. It means, they have to gain fourteen to nineteen more, on top of the 55-60 seats. That is already running at 120%. Imagine, they have to do 35% more, on top of the long distance overdrive run of 120%!
Only 20% of the 219 seats are in the urban and sub-urban areas. Even that, the reach and readership of alternative political media is still relatively low. The bigger part of the Malaysian public still being fed and consumed on controlled mainstream media. A lot of the issues raised in alternative media are oblivion and not comprehensible by these non urban folks. Batu Talam and Machap by elections shown that.
BN may not be 100% full proof. Over 50 years in government (since the days of Tunku’s Perikatan, which won the first General Elections in 1955), of course there are some flaws, here and there (Measured as half full or half empty?). In the complexity, it is only natural. It has done a lot of good in a nation of 25 million people classified under 106 different ethnic background. In the diversity and wide spectrum of variables, there is unity and progress. It has a national agenda and it’s called, Barisan Nasional. It is the only proven workable multi party coalition and its a power share formula.
In short, it is not all about BN being invicible and too strong. Its about alternatives. The Oppositions and the rakyat who are fed up of BN will have to intelligently come up with a very much more formidable alternative.
*photo of Anwar Ibrahim campaigning in Machap is compliment from
The "thirteen million plus Ringgit" guy rambles.... 
Bro.
Oppositions can’t win any election until they unite altogether with the same idea without many hidden agenda’s.
In American basketball term, we call it an “in your face dunk”!
come what may, they will never win the GE though they will gain some extra seats.
So the ‘first’ bottom-line is to reach that “74” seats.
With only “44” seats which is urban or sub-urban constituents where the probable chances of BN losing is greater, that still leaves another “30” seats to be attained by the opposition.
We need another set of numbers i.e. the urban, sub-urban and rural constituents 2004 election results to delve deeper into the majority votes BN obtained. Not all were landslide victories for BN if I recall correctly. From those figures, we should be able to ascertain the ‘marginal win’ constituents and work towards the possible outcome for the next GE.
Furthermore, we are only looking at party based candidates from two factions i.e. BN and BA. What about independents?
At the moment, the Oppositions have ONLY 20 seats. To raise it to 44, its like going at 120% on top than current effort. Furthermore, some of these 44 seats are BN/UMNO stronghold, like Johor Bahru, Pulai, Tebrau, Senai, Pasir Gudang, Subang, Kelana Jaya, Ampang, Gombak, Seberang Jaya, Kangar, Air Keruh, Kuantan, Petaling Jaya Selatan, Segambut, Lembah Pantai etc. Very hard and a lot of resources required to unseat these seats.
In the last election, UMNO is so powerful that they can even field a Malay candidate and won in a traditional DAP area like Nibong Tebal. That is why UMNO has 110 out of the 219 seat Dewan Rakyat. For the first time, UMNO is able to form the Government, on their own!
Independent candidates will have no chance. Maybe 1 or 2 constituencies in the interiors of Sabah and Sarawak. Otherwise, elsewhere, they are relatively unknown, not enough resources (especially money), no machinery and no experience in managing an election campaign.
Forget about denying BN 2/3 majority!
Exactly, it’s not that BN is doing great, it’s the weak alternative we have!
So most of the time, when voters are left with not much of choices, they rather vote for the BN rather than Opposition.
Bunch of cynics, aren’t we?
It’s the instant noodle syndrome. You want it and you want it in two minutes. And you expect the best nutrition, springy noodles, gourmet kitchen condiments. Otherwise it’s not worth a future.
At this point in time, the aim isn’t to form an alternative government. The opposition cannot, admittedly. The aim is to pressure BN to be accountable, to remind them that they are supposed to serve not patronise. The aim is to sock it to them each time they come out with a hare-brained scheme; when they lie, whup them; when they steal, shame them.
And the only route that will take us there is the Opposition’s numbers in Parliament and State Assemblies. You hit a tipping point, and real change will happen – no matter who rules.
You think change can happen from within BN? I find that idea more impossible than the Opposition denying 2/3 majority. Simply because by the time a BN politician reaches any position of influence, he/she would’ve owed too many people too many favours. He would be straightjacketed. Just look at our very top.
The premise that BN is the only proven formula that works comes with a big fat asterisk. We have no other means of comparison in our nation’s history. Plus, i do not accept the laments that being diverse is a hurdle to government. Heterogeneity is a God-given asset of our land, and yet we fail to capitalise on it.
Rather than faulting the Opposition’s content like so many armchair critics, i’d suggest we look at ourselves. I’d say it’s about balls. Ours. Do we DARE pursue legitimate change?
agree dude! the alternatives look bleak..n BN is just pro man
Without disputing the allegation of accusation of corruption and other problems, what is the way forward?
Taken that the BN formula is the only model we have and there are no other comparison available. The BN idea of consensus did not start when Tun Razak establish it but as early as Perikatan days. In fact, its much earlier than that.
What is another solution?
The problem with opposition is that its line of thought is based on nit picking BN’s mistakes but offers no solution. They are only offering rhetorics which are too ideological and unrealistic as Gani Osman pointed out on Malaysian Malaysia idea. Then there is PAS’s Islamic state which lacks specifics and is inoperable, and merely rural reactionaries to development.
In addition, opposition specifically DAP is in denial of history. Such minds are even trying very hard to deny the Malay heritage with their convoluted version of history. This “kerajaan” has exist before the existence of the modern nation state of Malaysia, with some historian cum social scientist view to have existed as early as 2,000 BC. Let there be no doubt.
Their chant of Malaysian Malaysia is a repeat from an earlier version of “Malayan Malaya”. This chant begin in the early 1930s, I think, by immigrants with few percentage of local born, which are all not citizens.
What do you feel of relative new to the city, stayed temporary and later overstayed and demand a say in the running of the house? You won’t like it. WHat more if it is strangers instead of relatives?
At one point, Chinese via Communist were exerting themselves and most obviously after the British left, controlled this country with cruelty on the locals, who are its citizen. Although there are anti British Malay working together, the Communist were mostly Chinese.
I am not questioning the citizenship of non Malay and disputing that we must eventually have a non race policy. I am reminding that the demands and request of certain Chinese quarters are “rude”, insensitive and outright selfish, yet making claims of injustice.
The problems is their version of justice will never be fair. In a laisse fairre non interventionist economy (free market), the weak will never have a fighting chance. The haves will continue to dominate and exert itself.
What is justice if it is not fair for the lesser?
Under the colonial adminsitration, the Malay natives were denied proper education and economically discriminated for 466 years! DEB only happened since 1970. Its significant impact was only felt during TDM’s era. BUt time is too short to address and its known that TDM was in a hurry to do many things.
It will never be fair to the Malay masses who have been living on subsistence and economically disadvanteged by history and “foreign” cartels.
I am not disputing that there has been leakage or “ketirisan” in the system. However, lets not be in denial on the existence of a systematic sabotage well orchestrated by Chinese business cartel and supported silently by the lower rung.
Is that not an intention for racial domination?! For Chinese to demand a non racist policy, it is in denial of history and are an equally racist preposition.
With this kind of undeniable reality, do not blame of Malays for givng undivided loyalty and support to UMNO, whatever shortfall, perception and reality with respect to UMNO.
While I agree to som eof the comments, I beg to differ on the others:
The problem with this article is the facts put up are shaky. For example to say Memali is PAS’s fault is an insult to the people murdered there. Pls read the facts during UMNO splits into Semangat 46, the war of words between Musa Hitam and Mahathir at that time clearly shows that action were taken by the police on the kampung people “upon pressure from UMNO Baling”. The police want to capture ustaz ibrahim Libya under ISA (remember not as criminal!). Ustaz Ibrahim insist that ISA is a cruel law and will not submit to it. Therefor once the police attacked them they have no choice but to defend themselves ….. the rest is history. And as far as Ma’unah is concerned, it got nothing to do with PAS. Its like accusing Islam is bad just because some muslims decided to rob or murder somebody. Islam has forbid muslims from doing bad thing. If however, some still commit them then it is them to be punished not Islam!!!!!
The Lojing issue was again obtained thru media controlled by BN. Harakah in the latest edition has put up the all the facts together with the evidence on failure in monitoring Lojing development. Pls get a copy and study. And if corruption is really the issue, the MB of Kelantan has open the door for BPR to investigate and later persecute ….. I’m sure BN would love to take action if this truly happens because they are finding ways to topple the state government. But after almost 20 years rule in Kelantan, I know things going to get better and better there ……
The hudud law for Trengganu was passed in the DUN during PAS rule but implementation was made impossible by vritue of conflict with the constitution. This issue was in the news big time which make we wonder your facts in this article are questionable.
And one more thing, pls check with your friends either in Besut, or Kedah or Penang last week where Anwar delivered his ceramah to very, very big crowds……..
I can agree with you that we need better rapport among opposition parties and a more united opposition front. But believe me, after years of involvement in politics, we need to do a lot more if we really want to save Malaysia. In the meantime, UMNO and BN will continue to plough our country. We bloggers must really help the opposition if we really want better future for everybody. BN, I repeat, BN will to continue to do what they are doing now unless and until the people tell them STOP! by voting them out……
Your statistic is impressive but you LACK one important figure. Go and calculate the popular vote. BN might have 90% of the seat but they definitely do NOT have 90% of the votes. The day BN won in Sabah was the day EC realign the seats in Sabah. One reason they are winning is because they are nasty and corrupt enough cheat through the system. So go back and check the total popular vote and see for yourself how many percent actually voted BN into power. Don’t tell you are surprise when you see the numbers.
Husin lempoyang,
“This “kerajaan” has exist before the existence of the modern nation state of Malaysia, with some historian cum social scientist view to have existed as early as 2,000 BC. Let there be no doubt.”
“What do you feel of relative new to the city, stayed temporary and later overstayed and demand a say in the running of the house? You won’t like it. WHat more if it is strangers instead of relatives?”
Somehow, I sense that you mean Malaysia is not for ‘Immigrants’?
And in that, I can’t help for feel that you are trying to say, 2nd gen, Malaysian CHinese, or Malaysian Indians are included in your clouded opinion.
I hope I am wrong in assuming the above, because, you certainly have not realised how this country, we call Malaysia came into what it is now.
Am I being overly sensitive?
BigDog your analysis is superb. For the time being the Opposition is not yet an alternative. The larger portion of the voting rakyat will stick to BN ’cause they can see the benefits both immediate and long terms. The main challenge comes from within BN specifically UMNO ( may be MIC and notwithstanding the Sabah and latest Sarawak developments ) which has shown to be arrogant, clanish. ungrateful, money oriented, corrupted (top to bottom) and has shown their gross ignorance of the socio-political developments around them both within the country and without.
UMNO must take stock of themselves real hard and those experienced members must have that moral courage to put a stop to the continuing exploitation by the young ninkompoots who’re doing things in furtherance of non-UMNO’s interest. The prelude to the next GE will be a tough test for UMNO members who’ll have to ensure that UMNO remain intack or the country will be in disarray ’cause the choice of candidates will make or break the party and Malay unity. This probabilty will of course offer some consolation to the Opposition, nothing much as your mathematical calculations have shown!
Salam to BDDC.
I agree at present the opposition is not strong to take over the running of our country.
At individual party level they can’t take BN.To co=operate I don’t think DAP and PAS will be able to come to a common ground.
But what can we do so BN doesn’t continue with some of the abuses done by some of its leaders? Are we to keep quite and still. Are we just to accept whatever they prefer to do.
What we need is another strong representations by the opposition to make sure there is less abuse of power,less corruption.
The rakyat need to have the courage to make this happen.
But…sadly this will not happen.
dzulman:
Why is Malay and UMNO unity so crucial to your calculations? I would be more concerned about Malaysian unity, which unfortunately none of the present political parties (save perhaps Keadilan) seem capable of providing.
Alliedmarster
Your response is expected and appreciated. I understand your sensitity.
I hate racism and the racist I hate most are those that preach so-called justice, equality and human rights but are facade and instruments of domination, and at times unconciously racist by being in denial.
The gist of my comment earlier is that their definition of justice is merely legal and perception and not socially fair.
Let me explain the contact of these 2 para below in apprenthesis:
“This “kerajaan” has exist before the existence of the modern nation state of Malaysia, with some historian cum social scientist view to have existed as early as 2,000 BC. Let there be no doubt.”
This is a preemption to rebut a common reply (that has been making its rounds believed to be generated by some think tank group) to deny the Malay heritage in Malaysia. Some of the argument concocted is that orang asli is the only one with such right for the “special position” as define under Article 153.
I put it to you that you do not accept the Malay history and heritage of this country? yes or No?
“What do you feel of relative new to the city, stayed temporary and later overstayed and demand a say in the running of the house? You won’t like it. WHat more if it is strangers instead of relatives?”
I hope you do not do a nit pick and crucify because the preceding para to this was describing a call by Immigrants in the 1930s (way pre-1957) for a “Malayan Malaya” originated by Tan Cheng Lock (as local born), which LKY echoed into “Malaysian Malaysia”.
This chant is a chant that has no right to exist because they were not citizens making demand. This chant or a derivation of it has no consideration of social reality. The group that chanted this reject TOTALLY anything Malay.
Read your history, then I am ready to engage you.
I’ll ignore the rest of your comment, which is more of a spin. Just because you only sense things, you are asuming I am this and that. That kind of argument only works at teh tarik stall and bar room. The loudest wins!
Lay the facts, my fellow countrymen!
Electionisflawed,
The political system is about voters making their electoral polls via the 219 electoral colleges called constituency. That is an agreed system, borrowing from Westminster and its being practiced by almost all Commonwealth countries and others like Germany and Japan. Therefore its the most premier democratic system today.
So even if the ruling party managed to garner ONLY 51% of the popular vote BUT that 51% popular vote is actually translated to 99% of the seats cornered in the Parliament, the ruling party still will form a Government against 1% Opposition in the Parliament.
Its like a soccer team, playing 10 games in the league. They win once, with 30-0 result BUT lost the other nine matches with 0-1! They only earn 3 points but has a 30 For Vs 9 Against. They still suck!
The rhetorics are still academic.
elo fellas..i think umno isnt so bad for all of us, regardless of race n religions..wats bad r ppl who helm umno for now..there r ppl like kj, johari, nazri etc etc who seems to dictate umno like their own..wat we all need to do is kic these goons out..n a few menteri besars n ketua perhubungan say kelantan..these ppl brought shame to umno n painted umno w all sort of things negatively bout the party..there r many young n aspiring profesionals n true perjuangan ppl in umno, we jus hav to polish n nurture em..not kill em by way of painting a picture dat umno isnt relevent anymo..
i say we go on overdrive to kick these goons out n reestablished a platform whr this is d party dat was made by the ppl n for the ppl not for kj or paklah or patrick lim..
Nice !
Biggum Dogmannsteinberg,
You miss out the point entirely, the reason BN wins the election is because they have aligned the seat to favor them! They are willing to lose a seat with a bigger majority but take back 3 seats. This is how they took over Sabah. Realignment was implemented 6 months before the bloody elections. They cheat through the system.
Westminster system is widely practiced, agreed but please check your facts before putting our election system on par with Germany. Germany will allocate extra seats to reflect the proportion of the popular votes. Germany practices ‘Mixed member proportional representation’ system which from your nick I assume you should be pretty familiar with it. This even more important in Malaysia because the ruling government requires 2/3 of the seat to assume power. How far off is the popular vote against the government?
The election is not like a soccer I mean football league. 3 points for every winning match is a fair system while in the elections one seat will still be allocated even though the total populations could differ significantly. Don’t you think KL should have more seats based on the population level there?
is BN any better?
everybody always focuses on the weak points, how to harness the good ones?
Electionisflawed,
There is an Election Commission. This commission report to His Majesty the King and the other Malay Rulers. They are the ones who decide on electoral seats, not the Government. The are the ones who gazzette electoral constituencies and electoral roles, not the Government. Its according to the Federal Constitution. Election Commission members are appointed by His Majesty the King, not the Government. Government only pay their bills.
BN have seen the agony of defeat, which include Cabinet Ministers fell. Cabinet Ministers like Megat Junid, Abdul Hamid Othman, Mustaffa Mohamad, Idris Jusoh (all favoured to be in the Government by Dr Mahathir lost their MP seats, without warning!) BN accepted the people of the constituency their choices. If the Government could control Election Commission, might as well not let these Ministers loose! Infact, BN through Government should ensure BN wins 100%, all the time, like Singapore! Better still…..
During PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the BN Chairman, he has lost Sabah, Kelantan and Terengganu to the Oppositions. Even Kedah in 1999, more than half the MP seats lost to PAS.
The people who decide on elections. People like you refuse to accept the decision made by the people. Now people make better choices. That is why now even UMNO candidate can win in Chinese majority area. Example is Nibong Tebal. It used to be a DAP area but now the MP is UMNO.
People like you can carry on bickering and grouse and the fact still remain, Oppositions sucks! They themselves are the biggest failure why they lost elections.
Our election system measure how many seats can be won. The party with the most seats, gets to be Government. Its in the Federal Constitution and being practiced according to the articles provided in it. Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi were party of the people who drafted this constitution and made it adopted. Thats the accepted system. Malaysians adhere to this agreed system.
If you cannot accept that, then maybe you should consider someplace else which system or electoral methods that suit you best.
Biggum Dogmannsteinberg
If you think that Government merely pays their bill then you are as naive as the majority of the rest of the population. I know the existent of the EC, and I have witness first hand the manipulative methods they have used to ensure maximum victory on minimum votes. You have misunderstood me once again, when did I ever disagree with the current election system? I have argue over and over again that the problem does not lies with the system but the implementation itself. When the ruling party has 90% of the seat but only about 6+% of the popular votes then an imbalance will exist. Bare in mind the current government almost did not get 2/3 of the popular vote which would definitely influence our Parliament more. Yes the people has decide Bn to be our government and i accepted it, but bare in my mind it wasn’t 90% of the people who voted in BN and the rest of the opposition voters still deserve to have a representative in government. You keep on justifying the current system but fail to see how it is being manipulated, I have friends that their names move around between different constituency without them knowing at all. To make it worst it was move to another state and not the a neighboring area. Have you ever voted before? If you have then you would know that our votes are not private, there is serial number to track us to our votes. Try voting for the opposition just for the heck of it, wouldn’t be surprise if your name got ‘lost’ in the next opposition. I have sent my parents to voting booth where most the voters look unMalaysian and how did they get the right to vote is beyond me. There court cases that proves the existent of phantom votes (Look for Likas).
I voted for BN btw because the opposition candidate was poor in my electoral area so spare me lecture about opposition weakness. Unlike you I see a great weakness in BN as well, in doesn’t help when they practice a crony system which is my biggest complain. You idiotic statement of asking me to leave the country has already been practice by our greatest brain thus the brain drain. I work with extremely talented people and believe me when i say they all want to leave this country which is lead by a dreaded government.
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How bad the opposition, they cannot be more corrupt than the Umno-BN government. Why not giving opposition a chance, it’s nothing to lose. After all, it’s only 5 years. I had enough of AAB…for even 1 month!
Opposition clearly failed and undoubtably will continue to fail.
PAS did not do anything in Kelantan dan Terengganu. Neither did PBS in Sabah then. PKR is about Anwar Ibrahim & Co ONLY. Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, Ruslan Kassim, Marina Yusuf, Lokman Noor Adam, Dr. Jomo K. Sundram, Hanafiah Man, Nell Onn, the mighty Zainur Zakaria and now Ezam Md. Nor also abandoned Anwar!
DAP has no Malay agenda AT ALL, even though the Malays/Bumiputras are 65% of the rakyat. Why DAP stalwarts like Lee Lam Thye, Dr Kua Kia Soong, Kerk Kim Hock, Hu Sepang, Wee Choo Keong, Lee Ban Chien, Ronnie Liu, S K Soong, Teoh Teik Huat, Thing Chiek Ming, Lim Fui Ming, Fan Teng Yew, Sim Kwang Yang and Fung Ket Wing no longer in the mainstream menu of the party? DAP can’t even let other people go up their own leadership BUT ONLY themselves. So how allow them to lead?
No need for Oppositions to be given a chance. It can clearly be shown they will fail!
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