Yin says that the majority of voters have no sympathy for PH. Although their leaders have acknowledged that it is a wake-up call, why did it them so long to recognise that they were morphing into Umno?
Yin reads the Semenyih by-election results: A straw poll of the man-on-the street shows that the majority has no sympathy for PH. Some even went to the extent of pumping air – celebrating the bloody nose this increasingly inept and disintegrating coalition received from UMNO/PH.
PH leaders have acknowledged that it is a wake-up call.
Sadly their reaction is so predictably disappointing.
Azmin Ali, a vice president of PH has called for redoubling of the Malay Bumiputra Agenda. In other words more racially discriminatory policies in favour of the Malays. His stance reflects that of prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s PPBM; while his own party’s president, Anwar Ibrahim, has consistently called for the uncoupling of race with affirmative action. It won’t surprise me if Azmin crosses over to his natural habitat – the racially exclusive PPBM.
In other words Azmin is calling for PH to out UMNO/PAS by being even more robust in pursuing the Malay Bumi Agenda and all that it entails. He wants to pander to the Malay extremists; the Ketuanan kakis.
This is the knee jerk reaction of an opportunist – not a leader – to play to the gallery however wrong.
I can see a realignment of Malaysian politics in the foreseeable future; what with Umno’s Nazri Aziz goading MCA and MIC to leave and the division within PKR and finally the disintegration of PH. But that’s for another time.
PH walloped by the voters
For now: The walloping of PH by the voters. Mahathir and Azmin may interpret the results as the Malays demanding more mollycoddling.
However, I read the tea leaves differently.
While it cannot be denied that the extremist elements supported UMNO and PAS (this element will always be there) it is not a simple Malays vs the rest equation.
An inept PH
The PH Government has come across as inept – even Mahathir said so. We have a minister of education who is more interested in promoting his sect of Islam than in raising the standard of education. He is more interested in the colour of school shoes than in the kind of books prescribed for schools. He is playing racial politics when he refuses to recognise the UEC (which was one of the promises made by PH during GE14) on the quality of its qualifications which is arguably higher than the government’s schools qualifications.
We have a government who wants to introduce an American style health insurance which will punish the poor instead of continuing the present system of universal healthcare and improving it.
PH has broken promise after promise made at GE14 and the voters are taking their revenge.
Voters in both Cameron Highlands and Seminyeh want to talk bread and butter issues. They want to see what the government has for them – to make their lives better but instead they get more racist and religious chest thumping. If they had wanted that why should they vote for PH when UMNO/PAS – the real deal – are there for them.
PH has not sufficiently differentiated itself from UMNO/BN.
What is the difference between UMNO and PPBM?
UMNO and PPBM are both ultra Malay parties. Both want to pursue a Malay Agenda.
UMNO/BN has MCA – silent; obsequious and obedient. PH has DAP (aka MCA2) silent; obedient – a paper tiger.
PH has to compete with UMNO/PAS for the Malay votes and therefore depends on the non Malay votes to get it across the finishing line. Yet they lost this because they have so early on jettisoned its election promises. And the Chinese view DAP as MCA2. The non-Malay voters probably felt unmotivated to come out in support of PH – a lower non-Malay turnout can only benefit UMNO/PAS.
Will Rantau make it UMNO/PAS 3 – PH 0?
(The views expressed are those of the contributor)
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By Yin
Letters from Ward 5, Tanjong Rambutan
What is even more bewildering is, after 10 months, NOT one single thief from the previous Administration has been jailed. Yes,the PH government wants a watertight case against Najib and seems determined to present an overwhelming case made up of numerous charges. All at one go. I feel this is not wise. All the careful preparations and gathering of evidence will count for nothing if the judge is the same one who allowed Najib to refuse to wear standard orange lockup wear and also closed an eye to his refusal to sit in the accused dock. That is pure and simple contempt of court and she let him get away. That already shows she is bending over backwards to be accommodating to him. Imagine if, after everything is said and done, she acquits Najib? It can happen. And with the recent expose about our already compromised judiciary, it can also happen, even with another judge- you do not know how many Apandi Alis there are in the system. . And you cannot try him again for the same thing. Perhaps, instead of hitting him with so many cases at once, we should be doing it one by one. If a man can be jailed 12 months for stealing food to feed his family, any one of the charges can get easily get Najib 20 years to life. That is all you need. You do not need to send him to prison for 1000 years. If he gets acquitted on one charge, hit him with another. I think we should not put all the eggs in one basket as seems to be the case now. If nothing else this should keep him busy in court and give him no time to be a hero. Also, what about the other smaller more straight forward cases? MARA, FELDA, COW condos etc
What is even more bewildering is, after 10 months, NOT one single thief from the previous Administration has been jailed. Yes,the PH government wants a watertight case against Najib and seems determined to present an overwhelming case made up of numerous charges. All at one go. I feel this is not wise. All the careful preparations and gathering of evidence will count for nothing if the judge is the same one who allowed Najib to refuse to wear standard orange lockup wear and also closed an eye to his refusal to sit in the accused dock. That is pure and simple contempt of court and she let him get away. That already shows she is bending over backwards to be accommodating to him. Imagine if, after everything is said and done, she acquits Najib? It can happen. And with the recent expose about our already compromised judiciary, it can also happen, even with another judge- you do not know how many Apandi Alis there are in the system. . And you cannot try him again for the same thing. Perhaps, instead of hitting him with so many cases at once, we should be doing it one by one. If a man can be jailed 12 months for stealing food to feed his family, any one of the charges can get easily get Najib 20 years to life. That is all you need. You do not need to send him to prison for 1000 years. If he gets acquitted on one charge, hit him with another. I think we should not put all the eggs in one basket as seems to be the case now. Also, what about the other smaller more straight forward cases? MARA, FELDA, COW condos etc
The time has come for the rakyat to make a change and it starts from any by elections that comes along. PH needs to be traumatised !!!!!!. There is no will or dedicated convictions to have changes and reforms in place.What we are seeing is recycling of old schools of thoughts in a rebranded glamourous heart warming affection of “New Malaysia”. Azmin has confirmed with his latest antics that he is not Premiership material. His thoughtless and lack of maturity reasoning makes him look very amateur and almost to incompetence in taking up the Economic Ministry post itself. Many was misled in his dazzling performance as CM in Selangor . A simple deduction with plain helicopter view of reasoning will help one to realise Azmin real potential. Selangor has been a key iconic states of many investment and developement which was “wonderously” heaped upon by the previous government to emblazon their success stories. Azmin came along at the right time , right place and right position from his predecessor to claim the glorious victory which was not totally his efforts. it can be sadly stated that it is devious and manipulative in that actions and when Semenyih blows up where economic woes are a plenty and a reason to reject PH forced Azmin to operate on a desperation mode and what he was taught best from those days in Umno until now was “bangsa dan agama”. He is just following in the foot steps of his God Father the old man himself who are also at loss with no more thoughts provoking proposal to heave the country back to track. Basically it is all a recycling of the same old recipe he had used in his 22 years hoping that one will stick . THe old man has to have the pride to call it quit and let a successor takes over. Anwar might not be the right choice but still has take over inorder to ensure a change in place untill we as rakyat find the rightfull candidates.