Rudyard Kipling, in his Barrack-room ballads, 1892 said "Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." Such is the situation now with DAP and Barisan Nasional in the Malaysian political ballads.
DAP as a political party is in essence based on multiracialism whereas Umno and MCA are wholly race-based political entities. No doubt Gerakan in its formative days started off as a multiracial party led by many promising intellectuals, but later on it was more perceived as a party representing the Chinese than the other races. In fact, MCA and Gerakan depended on Chinese votes to stay relevant in Malaysian politics. Yet, they could not survive without the support of other voting communities in many plebiscites. The Malays and other races did support these parties in the spirit of Malaysian camaraderie and Barisan Nasional.
Failing to make inroads into the Malay electoral bastions DAP was at one time inadvertently perceived as a Chinese-based party – thanks to the political manoeuvres by Umno through the mainstream media - and it had to depend much on one community votes to stay relevant. Today, though, with the dawn of Pakatan Rakyat DAP has managed to change its pre-conceived image and is more perceived as a moderate multi-racial political entity – thanks to Pas and PKR. The Pakatan Rakyat chemistry has brought about to a rejuvenated DAP and it has since grown to become a party well accepted by the other races – especially among the urban voters. Its political pragmatism in a multi-racial Malaysia after taking over Penang has made DAP all the rage among the educated electorate and the ordinary citizens.
DAP comes of age
DAP is blessed to be given a chance to govern Penang after the 2008 general election under Pakatan Rakyat and it has proven to the people that it can govern a state without fear, favour or without a self-seeking demeanour. The stress on accountability, transparency and competency as practised in the state government of Penang has won the hearts of many Malaysians. With surplus in state revenue due to assiduous political and economic management and acumen the state government has zero tolerance for corruption, cronyism and the wastage of taxpayers’ money. The governance of the state is based on frugal economic policies and wastage of taxpayers’ money is bare minimum. Politics to DAP is a serious business – a divine order of sort - to see that the country develops, the people taken care of, no corruption or nepotism and whatever business and social policies adopted by the political mangers must be accounted for. For this reason DAP has proven to be a leading light and an effective political entity under Pakatan Rakyat - spearheading the progress of Penang much to the envy of Gerakan, MCA and Umno.
DAP which was once perceived as a more Chinese-based party has now proven itself to represent the taste bud of all races. The present Penang government has made this dream come about though it would take considerable time to ensure the poor Malays and Indians catch up with the affluent and robust Chinese. All races are treated equal and the needy are helped irrespective of race or religion. In fact the DAP-led Penang government could do more if not because of the Umno led federal government making use of the mainstream media hitting and bad-mouthing the state government for the very reason that it is under the stewardship of a DAP ethnic Chinese.
But danger lurks
To Pas and the general Malays the perception of DAP is quite judicious. Penang even before Pakatan Rakyat was led by chief minsters of ethnic Chinese. It is not an out of the ordinary issue now when the chief minister is of ethnic Chinese under Pakatan Rakyat. The fact that the present chief minister is doing a far superior job has envied Umno and Barisan Nasional but not Pas, PKR or the general Malays. Instead of engaging with the Opposition ruled states, the Barisan led federal government has shown its smugness and haughtiness by routinely distorting and manipulating issues relating to this state and its leadership through the mainstream media. Thanks the alternative media that this self-indulgent strategy has failed to work and it has in fact backfired badly on Umno and Barisan Nasional.
There should not be any viable reason why DAP should now join Barisan Nasional when their political cultures are diametrically conflicting. The ingrained political culture in Barisan Nasional has a gulf of disparity with that of DAP. The latter seeks answerability, clearness and aptitude in governance at all costs. The former, despite helming the country for 54 years, have not shown the same temerity and audacity. Feudalism, politics of patronage and political culture have inhibited Umno from getting out of its grimy opinionated chamber.
DAP for that matter, is going to lose more than Umno and Barisan Nasional if it were to team up with Barisan Nasional. DAP for sure will have to be neutralised to cater to the self-seeking aspirations of Umno and its allies.
MCA, Gerakan mummified by UMNO
Pakatan Rakyat has now made a great impact on the Malaysian political scene. In the last general election held in 2008 BN only won 80 seats in West Malaysia. MCA managed to scrape through with 15 seats and Gerakan 1. According to political pundits MCA and Gerakan will lose almost all of the seats they contest in the next general election. There is every likelihood that the Pandan and Raub parliamentary seats presently held by MCA will be pocketed by DAP or Pakatan Rakyat allies in the next general election. Such is the pathetic dilemma faced by these two political entities – thanks to Umno and Perkasa.
MCA throughout its partnership in the Alliance and Barisan Nasional since independence has never once had the chance to govern a state, unlike Gerakan - formed in 1968 - that came into the coalition very much later. In fact before and after Gerakan won big in the 1969 general election many MCA leaders and members left the party to join former. Gerakan helmed Penang for almost four decades under three chief ministers - much to the envy of MCA – before it plunged into stupor.
Penangite reject BN loud and clear
In the 2008 general election BN only won 11 out of 40 state seats and two out of 13 federal seats in Penang - all by Umno. Gerakan, MCA and MIC were all whitewashed. After the grave political bashing Gerakan and MCA received in the 2008 general election the two parties have not fully healed from their cavernous gash. They were mangled stiff that Gerakan is now about to be mummified and become history in Malaysian politics. If truth be told, in Gerakan, also in MCA, only the few top leaders being cradled like saints by the main stream media are left in their parties when their disciples have long abandoned ship to support DAP, PKR and Pas. It looks like most Barisan Nasional component parties will be wiped out after the next general election. Umno itself will be half paralysed. As they say, a drowning man will grasp on to any straw he could get hold of – thus now the perceptible lure for DAP to join Barisan Nasional, sheepishly to form a unity government after they had failed to entice Pas before this.
Penang’s success is Pakatan’s success. DAP has proven to the people that governance is a matter of being honest to the taxpayers and it’s not just a matter of holding on to power that matters in germane politics. To serve with dignity and sincerity is what politics is all about to DAP. DAP is now becoming a political force to be reckoned with both in West Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah. It has more advantage than MCA as it’s a multi-racial party. DAP is now convincingly making its presence felt in Sarawak among the Sarawak Bumiputras. The Iban, Dayak and other indigenous people of Sarawak are free to join DAP for its multi-racialism. DAP in fact won an unprecedented 12 seats in the recent Sarawak state election. And conceivably, in the next general election Sarawak will see at least 8 to 12 seats falling to Pakatan Rakyat with DAP winning the most seats. This spillover effect will also be felt in Sabah and this will help Pakatan Rakyat’s component parties there to an unprecedented triumphant – snatching at least six parliamentary seats.
Learn from PAS
Lest some euphoric politicians forget, Pas became a member of the governing Barisan Nasional coalition for the first and only time, from 1973 to 1978. Following this exceptional move Pas was instantly neutralised from being more religious based to Malay nationalism. Both joining the BN coalition and moving away from religious-based policy platforms caused the party to lose support. Pas left Barisan Nasional with a bruised ego much to the delight of Umno. Barisan Nasional thenceforth took over Kelantan smoothly after a trifling coup de grace.
In 1982, Asri was ousted as Pas leader by the religious ulama faction of the party, to be replaced by Yusof Rawa. After Asri's tenure, Pas shifted to a more religious platform and it took Pas more than a decade after that to reinvent itself and make a political return as a pertinent Islamic party in the context of Malaysian politics to capture Kelantan back from Barisan Nasional. Such is the disposition in politics. Nevertheless, after the contusion Pas has since made a significant inroad in Malaysian politics and with its moderate deportment it has won the hearts of the Muslims and non-Muslims. DAP could take a cue from Pas on this historical reality.
Gerakan in Penang was not only neutralised but doomed by the racial and religious overtones by some Umno members and also by the electorate in Penang who were disgusted with the political smugness and superciliousness of Umno being the main player in Barisan Nasional. Politically being minor players, MCA and Gerakan could not cope with the present political inequality within Barisan Nasional.
Failing to “topple” the image of the state government and neutralise DAP through the media has perturbed Barisan Nasional. DAP’s popularity in many urban areas as well as in rural Sarawak has kept on escalating even with the continuous media onslaught to demean the party as racist and chauvinistic. This measure has in effect backfired on MCA, Gerakan and Umno. The people have now overtly rejected MCA and Gerakan. And the populace are also contemptuous of Umno under the previous and present leadership.
Poison chalice
And now, as reported, comes the pitch and hints by some Umno stalwarts that DAP should join Barisan National. This insinuates that MCA and Gerakan can no more deliver Chinese votes for Barisan Nasional. But then is this fix the making of Gerakan and MCA alone? Certainly not. The demise of MCA and Gerakan is significantly attributed to the racial politics played by Umno. Umno has generally been quiet on the many Umno and Perkasa members who have reviled the Chinese as ungrateful people and some calling names to degrade this ethnic group and their ancestors. Words like ungratefulness, prostitutes, greediness, kurang ajar and the picture-tearing scene of a Gerakan leader plus the controversial Interlok novel used in schools have hurt the Chinese feelings and the wise citizens the same. Perkasa’s continuous blitz on MCA and Gerakan has added salt to injury. The other races too are not happy with this hard-line approach to politics by Umno and its political affiliates.
The alleged DAP invite to join Barisan Nasional could apparently be designated to some hidden motives. Firstly, Umno cannot depend on MCA and Gerakan to deliver Chinese votes for Barisan Nasional in the next general election. They now need to court DAP to help deliver them the votes. Secondly, Umno and Barisan Nasional are seeing their downfall looming. Malay votes are spilt 50-50, Chinese votes are tilted towards the Opposition. This trend could see the end of BN in the next general election. Umno thus has no choice but to rope DAP into Barisan Nasional. Thirdly, DAP can be neutralised once they are in Barisan Nasional like what happened to Pas from 1973 to 1978. That would make DAP less popular among the voters especially those with an anti-establishment tendency. A loss to DAP will therefore be a gain for Umno.
Ostensibly, the two-coalition (party) political system Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat - in the country should remain as this portends well for the people who aspire for a more transparent and accountable scheme of governance. The people in reality clamour for no monopoly in political dominance.
John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, the historian and moralist (1834–1902) expressed this opinion in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."
We therefore need a two-coalition (party) system that is vibrant for the country to ensure that power does not lead to conceit and corruption and those “great” men the people have voted in do not abuse their positions as politicians.
- Malaysia Chronicle
2 comments:
I went to the Post Office to register to vote; and upon checking my identity card, the Post officer asked which religion I belonged to. Why? I do not know. Therefore, we must reform the Department of Religion. Right now, only Islam is recognised as the religion in the Department of Religion. Therefore we need reforms. We need to divide the Department of Religion into two branches: one branch to deal with Muslim Affairs, and another branch to deal with non-Muslim Affairs.
Another alternative is to persuade the Malays to separate Penang Island from Peninsular Malaysia. It may be that non-Muslims are the majority in Penang. More and more non-Muslims from Peninsular Malaysia should be encouraged to relocate to Penang. Once Penang becomes a non-Muslim majority state, then the Penangites can ask for greater autonomy from KL. Penang should be allowed to make its own laws for itself. I think the Malays should be happy if more non-Malays relocate to Penang. An increase in non-Malays in Penang will result in a decrease in non-Malays in Peninsular Malaysia; and therefore Malays should be happy. Malays should encourage non-Muslims to relocate to Penang. Since Singapore is a non-Muslim majority nation, Penang should also become a non-Muslim majority state. The non-Muslim citizens need a hub and space of their own; and the hub and space would be Penang. Those non-Muslim citizens who are unwilling to accept a second class citizen status inside Peninsular Malaysia should relocate to Penang Island.
If you are non-Muslim Malaysian and do feel socially, politically, or economically shortchanged, then stop complaining and fretting. Do something. Instead of fretting and complaining, please make arrangements to relocate to Penang. If you have non-Muslim friends who fret and complain, then immediately persuade them to relocate to Penang.
If you are non-Muslim Malaysian and do feel socially, politically, or economically shortchanged, then stop complaining and fretting. If non-Muslim taxpayers feel shortchanged, then stop the sweating, brooding, complaining, and having nightmares. There is a solution to the nightmares and depression. Do something. Please relocate to Penang.
If non-Muslims feel that Muslim Malaysians, as taxpayers, are having a parasitical relations with non-Muslim Malaysians, then the non-Muslims must do something. What should non-Muslims do to thwart the parasitical relations with Muslim Malaysians? If you are non-Muslim, please relocate to Penang Island. The solution is relocate to Penang Island; and the Muslim Malaysians also should encourage non-Muslim Malaysians to relocate to Penang.
If the non-Muslims are opposed to the "ketuanan Melayu" ideology, then they should relocate to Penang.
Firstly, I have utmost respect for the many Malays who are so kind. However, there are some Malays who feel that the Malay forefathers made a big mistake about 100 to 150 years ago by allowing Chinese and Indian immigrants into Malaya in large numbers. What happened about 100 to 150 years ago is irreversible. That's the Malay perpective. Well, there are Malaysian citizens of Chinese and Indian ancestry who feel that their forefathers also made a big mistake relocating to Malaya. What happened about 100 to 150 years ago is irreversible. Now, just as the Malays have to tolerate non-Malays, the non-Malays have to tolerate the Malays too. There is a solution. The non-Muslims in Peninsular Malaysia should relocate to Penang. The Malays should encourage non-Muslims to relocate to Penang. It's a win-win.
Firstly, I have utmost respect for the many Malays who are so kind. However, there are some Malays who feel that the Malay forefathers made a big mistake about 100 to 150 years ago by allowing Chinese and Indian immigrants into Malaya in large numbers. What happened about 100 to 150 years ago is irreversible. That's the Malay perpective. Well, there are Malaysian citizens of Chinese and Indian ancestry who feel that their forefathers also made a big mistake relocating to Malaya. What happened about 100 to 150 years ago is irreversible. Now, just as the Malays have to tolerate non-Malays, the non-Malays have to tolerate the Malays too. There is a solution. The non-Muslims in Peninsular Malaysia should relocate to Penang. The Malays should encourage non-Muslims to relocate to Penang. It's a win-win.
Nanyang means South Seas, a reference to the South East Asain region. The Nanyang Chinese are those Chinese who relocated from China to South East Asia about 100 to 150 years ago. The contribution of the Nanyang Chinese is well documented. In parts of South East Asia the Nanyang Chinese founded many, if not most, of the towns and urban centers. The Nanyang Chinese have served South East Asia for about 100 to 150 years and are entitled to a hub and space of their own which will be Penang. (We also have the Straits Chinese). The Chinese from Peninsular Malaysia, if they can, should relocate closer to Penang so that Penang will always be a Chinese majority state. The Penang Chinese should seek greater autonomy for Penang. Global geo-politics is changing and China is a rising social, political, and economic power. Amidst all these changes, Penang has to find its niche. We have to keep Penang as a Chinese majority state.
There is a need to understand that Straits Settlements, Federated Malay States, and Unfederated Malay States were slightly different from each other. Penang is part of the Straits Settlements and deserves greater autonomy. The goal of Penangites should be GREATER AUTONOMY. Malays should encourage non-Muslims to relocate closer to Penang because an increase in non-Muslims in Penang results in a decrease in non-Muslims in Peninsular Malaya.
Please make sure you go to the nearest Post Office to register to vote. Please exercise your right to vote.
If you do agree with me, please copy and remail it to whom it may concern. Those who receive it must in turn copy and remail it to whom it may concern. Let’s get the word around to as many people as possible. Let’s see what happens.
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