On Political Platforms in the Kajang by-Election. Manifesto vs MONEYfesto.

 

 

Saturday, 22 March 2014

Last night, I attended the launching of Reformasi 2 at Kajang stadium. The stadium was filled to the brim. It was a huge crowd. As usual this morning, after waking up with arithmetitis, mainstream media will downplay the size of the huge crowd. Maybe 232 attnded. 

There were so many speakers. So we end up mostly making rallying calls. The political platform has been explained widely throughout  the campaign period. 

That Wan Azizah shall go on to win this by-election is just a formality. The question is how big will her majority be.

How big will depend on the voter turnout. I believe the voter turnout will not be as large as it was during the general election last May 2013. Be that as it may, Wan Azizah’s majority will be bigger than that one obtained by CC Lee.

The non-Malays will come out in big numbers to vote Wan Azizah. They are motivated by one reason only. The UMNO people can challenge them to explain their conduct and ask once again what do the Chinese want- that will be an irrelevant question. The question will be simply ignored. The basic desire and motivation is just to see BN get its butt kicked. They don’t like BN and its a subjective choice. Nothing much to explain.

Malays on the other hand  complicate their own decision making and will be motivated by multiple considerations. They face a tougher decision but their difficulty is caused by mixed emotions. The Malays who did not vote Pakatan the last time because they didn’t want to vote a CC Lee will  come out to vote this time. They will vote Wan Azizah. 
That will only reduce the votes which could have gone to Miss CM Fun. its the UMNO Malays who will stay back. It’s not because they are disloyal to UMNO, but because they have been conditioned into thinking in terms of Malayness- so they will not come out to vote for Miss CM Fun. The will stay loyal to UMNO but they will not vote for Miss Fun. how is CC Lee different from Chew Mei Fun? 
Can Miss CM Fun read the customary Al Fatihah when visiting a deceased relative? Wan Azizah at least can.

So Wan Azizah will enjoy a larger sweep of Malay votes this time. Miss Fun will suffer because the UMNO Malays stay back and if they come out this Sunday, some of them will vote for Wan Azizah.

Now let’s distil the issues in this Kajang election.

Mahathir and Daim is not the platform.

What is Pakatan’s platform?  Now a platform is the public pronouncements of what the party intends to do economically and politically. it’s an articulation of their views on the various issues in the country- social and economics issues, its views on the country’s management, its attitude to the ruling government, and more important generally, it represents its commitment to bring about the desired changes that it thinks are of benefit to the country.

So, the Pakatan platform isn’t about being obsessed with Daim Zainudin or Dr Mahathir. One important element of the platform is an attack against corruption and cronyism that is practised by UMNO. I have attended 2 ceramahs with Anwar Ibrahim who mentioned the names of the two retirees.  As to Dr Mahathir, who can say he has ever retired?

I would not conclude by the mention of the two names, that Anwar is obsessed with the two. But the names of the two were used for dramatic effects to accentuate the issue of corruption and cronyism.  And it worked because it drove the crowds into a frenzy. Daim Zainudin and Mahathir’s name are marketable.

As to the frequency by which Anwar mentioned the two names- I am told in his other ceramahs he also mention the two names- we can’t blame Anwar if he believes the two played a significant role for the condition that he has faced and is facing.

I am not going to rush in and proclaim Anwar is a saint but in UMNO where everyone is tainted with something and everything, and certainly moral deficiencies being one of them, the vehemence, venom and vindictiveness which UMNO leaders meted out to Anwar by legal and extra legal means- are almost inhuman. Anwar’s obsession with the two is excusable.

The two are considered as the principal architects with Dr M being the chief architect.  As to Anwar’s obsession with Daim, I think it’s more personal.

I have had the opportunity to sit in with Daim on a number of occasions and I must openly admit that needling Anwar was rare other than making bawdy jokes about Anwar. Maybe they have some private politics between them, I don’t know.

The platform PKR in particular offers to the people of Kajang is therefore made up of issues such as corruption and cronyism, the mismanagement of the economy, the lack of direction by which the nation is travelling, the weakness of the government in tackling community issues, the ineptness of the government in handling crime, the rising cost of living, the arrogance of those in power and of course the injustice inflicted on Anwar and his family.

The people of Kajang ought to carry the anger which they associate with the BN government to the ballot boxes this 23^rd March 2014. They should vote with their heads but don’t disallow the human emotions. Lets deal another death blow to BN and prove that Miss CM Fun is just a pawn whom Muhyidin finds attractive.