BN has its 1Malaysia campaign. PAS and PKR have not made their campaign thrusts known yet if they indeed have one each, but DAP has announced its Middle Malaysia campaign.
By batsman
For my analysis of what all these mean, the DAP’s MM campaign suits me fine as a foil against the BN’s 1M campaign.
The DAP’s thinking assumes that Malaysia is not split into 2, but 3 sections. On the one side, we have the PR Malays, Chinese and Indians. On the other side, we have the BN Malays, Chinese and Indians. Right in the middle, we have Middle Malaysia – undecided and wavering.
To make my analysis, it is necessary to make assumptions of the percentages of each sub-section. PR Malays form 40%; BN Malays form another 40% while undecided Malays form 20%. PR Chinese form 50%; BN Chinese form 30% while undecided Chinese form 20%. PR Indians form 30%; BN Indians form 30% and undecided Indians form 40%.
Of course these percentages ebb and flow and cannot be fixed for certain, but again I need to make the assumption that undecided Malays comprise a much higher number of voters than undecided Chinese and Indians added together.
The BN’s 1M campaign is a false retreat on one front and a real attack on another. A new general has been holding the reins for about a year and his new consultants and new team have come up with a credible campaign compared to the confusion in the ranks of the BN after the 12th GE.
The real attack assumes the character of most Chinese and Indians not as patriots, but as unhappy citizens deprived of their share of the cake. The attack takes the form of seduction and appeasement of Chinese and Indians in the hope that Chinese and Indian voters will flock to its banners once again.
The false retreat is in toning down aggressive talk and threats against others on Malay rights. All UMNO Malays know that this is a false retreat, therefore they have no problems with it, the exception being TDM who even now seems to pretend he is not able to influence the decision makers of UMNO and promotes Perkasa as the defender of Malay rights, knowing full well that Perkasa can switch under the banner of its paymaster UMNO in the flick of an eye.
Of course the false retreat and real attack are just political campaigns. To back it up, the police, judges, civil service, NGOs, other motley institutions and GLCs still need to be on BN’s side and must be prepared (and HAVE taken) violent suppression or dirty tricks on its behalf.
All these dirty tricks and violent suppression BN has found necessary to shore up its rule have exposed it as a non-democratic, corrupt and even murderous regime. The 13th GE represents the last vestige of decency BN needs to cover up its naked obscenities. They are desperate to win this last skimpy vestige of decency to cover up their huge obscenities.
The DAP’s Middle Malaysia campaign unfortunately does not seem to have any tactics except to say that middle class Malaysians need to be won over. Given the fact that most middle class Malaysians are Chinese, they are targeting the wrong group of voters. Their tactics will make the DAP even more Chinese oriented than ever.
I submit that the undecided Malays must be won over. For this to happen, a very risky assumption has to be made. It has to be assumed that most Chinese and Indian Malaysians are patriots and not just unhappy citizens deprived of goodies and their share of the cake. This means that Chinese and Indian Malaysians must have the political will power and wisdom to forego all talk of benefits and goodies and allow Malays to go all out to contest UMNO without any worries that they will become puppets of the Chinese.
Foregoing all talk of benefits and competition for goodies will neutralize BN’s real attack of seduction and appeasement. Allowing Malays to go all out to contend with UMNO will neutralize BN’s false retreat and force it to expose itself as a racist government.
This means the DAP must forge a unity with PKR and PAS that is sincere and real. It means sincerely, voluntarily and willingly allowing Malays to be the real leaders in the opposition and foregoing competition for positions or benefits. Unfortunately accusations that DAP has a dictatorial style does not bode well.
If in future, 1M or MM does nothing except maintain the racial divide and ALLOWING this racial divide to maintain a massive army or corps of corrupt cronies, policemen, judges, civil servants, etc, etc, etc because each racial group cannot make compromises and need corrupt and violent policemen and judges to maintain their rule, then Malaysia loses out. Patriots lose out.
What patriots want more than anything else is to see and end to corruption, incompetence and sin as a way of life in Malaysia. For this to happen, effective checks and balances are needed. And for effective checks and balances to have a chance, it is necessary to have a healthy 2 party system of rotating governments.
The DAP’s MM campaign, if it is to be truly meaningful, must be able to pave the way for PR to become the next government of Malaysia, whatever sacrifice it takes or is this too idealistic to hope for?
Of course this does not mean PAS and PKR sit back and do nothing. For one, rein back mavericks who cause fear and confusion and for another, please express more dynamic and better leadership, or are this also too idealistic to hope for?
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