The most awaited announcement by all Malaysians finally came on April 3rd, 2013. The Malaysian Parliament was finally dissolved paving the way for the 13th General Election. The news came in the fastest possible way, SMS to the handphone on that afternoon. This was to be repeated throughout the whole afternoon and by evening, it becomes stale news.
This announcement ended a year long speculation as to when it will take place. The ruling government under Najib had stretched the term to the maximum of 5 years. As far as I can recall, all other elections were held about a year before the full term. This time around, there was no suitable date that favours the government. And so Najib could only try and maximise his "stay" and in the process, look for some workable plan to upstage the opposition. What is it that makes this election so different from the rest ?
One have to look back to find the answer. And you need not look far, before you come to the historical date 8.3.2008. That was the date of the last election.No body foresaw what was coming, not the ruling party nor the opposition, andthe the result shock everybody. Out of 222 Parliament seat, the opposition took 82 and for the total state seats of 505, the opposition won 196. For the first time in the Malaysian election history, the Opposition control more than 1/3rd and in the process won in 5 states, Kelantan, Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor. This had made everything possible. In the past, voters and all political parties had assumed that nothing can shake the National Alliance ( BN ) for it's tight control of almost everything, including the loyal support of the Malays. The non Malays had always lean to the far left, especially the urbanites, but the numbers have never been significant enough to be dominant. So what makes 2008 election different ? I can only put the credit to one particular guy, Anwar Ibrahim. He was sacked, unjustly accused of treason, jailed for immorality and whatever you name it. Having undergone all humiliation and torture whilst in jail, he was released by Abdullah Badawi, the then Prime Minister. He was instrumental in putting the opposition coalition together, his own Keadilan Party, DAP and PAS. Going by the total different idealogy of DAP and PAS, it is amazing that Anwar is able to have the two parties working side by side even though they at opposite ends most of the time. Anwar is the glue that bond the coalition. He together with the three parties is able to breakdown the notion that UMNO is Malay and Malay is UMNO. For the first time, there is a viable alternative for the Malays, and this certainly surfaced in the 2008 election.
Because of all that, the unthinkable is now possible. Before 2008, not a single soul in this country ever talks about Barisan loosing control of the the government. Now, everyone is hankering for a change in government. The rakyat is now aware that they can change things, they actually have the power. The people and the government are like a pyramid, the bottom forms the citizen and the top represents the government. It used to the top controls and has the power over the bottom. Now the people realised that it is them at the bottom that is holding up those at the top ! They have the power.
To the government, 2008 was a warning sign. Sadly, they ignore that omnipotent sign and have not only failed to govern, but seems to have gone from bad to worse. Corruption, arrogance, divide and rule played to the tilt using the race card, imposition of taxes that continue to burden the rakyat, high stake game of corruption that ends in murder, and essentially not improving the welfare of the people at large.
And so when the nomination date of 20th April, 2013, was later announced, the date was the beginning of the most vocal and highly charged public rallys Malaysia has ever seen. The government is seeing the writing on the wall. Every opposition rally before the nomination date has seen record attendance, full house wherever they go. DAP in particular charge for attendance and during the "ceramah" would also pass the hat around to raise election fund. Very often, these funds are encouraging, raising to hundreds of thousands in urban areas and tens of thousands in lesser towns. In contrast, the government "ceramahs" are full of goodies, neatly arranged tables, food, welcome cash, T shirts and banners supporting or "loving" the PM, pale by comparison in attendance. Most of the time, the attendance are made up of committees , government servants, party members and those obligated to attend.
The drama began two days before nomination day. DAP was suspended by the Register of Societies for irregularities during their party election last year end. This was a costly mistake by the government as the public could see the dirty game beginning. A day later, the Election Commission announced that DAP could still use their logo and register under their party name. Nobody is going to fall into that trap. The unthinkable happened. PAS came to the aid of DAP by allowing DAP to contest under the PAS party and work all night to sign all the DAP candidates under the PAS nomination form. The DAP also contested in East Malaysia under the PKR name. This action was supported by the public who were angered by the move of the Government. The good thing that came out of it is the chinese people are now carrying the PAS logo and vowed to support them ! This never happened before, thanks to the BN, whose plans clearly backfired.
This is an account of what I see and feel from the ground since nomination date. Like every PKR supporter, everyone can sense that there could be a change of government. For the first time, every citizen takes responsibility by going back to their constituency to vote. A lot of Malaysians residing overseas are waiting for this date to come back and vote. A lot of them flew back, from US, Australia, Europe, and nearby countries. Some of them got a shock when they landed at the airport to see so many foreign nationals at the airport. This is another blatant thing the government is doing, offering ciizens to muslim Bangladeshis, Myanmars, Indonesians, Filipinos in exchange for votes. They are flying them in from all over, mostly from East Malaysia to vote. This is not only fraud, this is treason to the highest degree.Cash is openly offered in exchange for vote. Those responsible for this will have to pay. The people are angry at what they see. The sentiments on the ground is very strong. Everyone wants now wants a change . If in the past, the attendance at ceramah does not necessarily translate to votes, this time, it is not going to be the same. They attended the ceramah not for "entertainment" of BN bashing. They are angry and is showing support to get rid of a corrupted government. Every opposition ceramah last way until midnight and the crowed stayed all the way with them.
Tomorrow, is D Day ! Tomorrow, we will be out voting and wait for the results.WE will not let the government get away with what they have done to the country and to the people. Fifth of May is the date to remember. All the pent up feeling, the mistakes after mistakes by the government has riled up the people. The fence sitters have long jump into the opposition bandwagon. The sons of past UMNO leaders have openly spoken out on the past injustice of the government and revealed many conspiracies past and present. Many are beginning to see the ugly truth, the hidden agenda of the ruling elite. In other words, this election has caught fire and tomorrow is the gathering of the perfect storm.
This is written for posterity. Tomorrow is the day Malaysian makes history and it must be documented in my electronic journal.
Ubah.
Posted by TKH.
4.5.13 @ 12.00 am.
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