| Home > South-East Asia >> Malaysia | |
Malaysian voters send two crucial messages
Malaysia Kini - April 8, 2009
The outcome of the Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau by-elections have sent two crucial messages. Firstly, it can be viewed as a rejection of the new Barisan Nasional leadership and secondly, the people of Perak want a fresh state elections.
Both the Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and DAP's PJ Utara assemblyperson Tony Pua agreed that the Perak state assembly must be dissolved to pave the way for a fresh polls.
According to Pua, the results are a clear endorsement of Pakatan Rakyat's 10-month-old Perak government for its multiracial and multicultural policies in contrast to BN's race-based model of governance.
"The Kuala Sepetang polling district (in Bukit Gantang) where the Chinese community comprises 97 percent of the 2,311 electorate, they had voted 84.3 percent for a PAS candidate (former Perak MB Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin).
"This is an earth-shaking result demonstrating that barriers to racial and communal politics are being torn down and are being replaced by the politics of good and quality governance.
"The sizeable increase in victory margin for Mohd Nizar in Bukit Gantang clearly sends the message to our newly installed premier Najib Abdul Razak that the people want the Perak state assembly to be dissolved for fresh elections," he said in a statement.
Referendums on national politics
Meanwhile, PSM said the victory of greenhorn S Manikumar in Bukt Selambau showed that Malaysians are seeing by-elections as referendums on national politics rather than local issues.
Mahathir Mohamad visits Najib Razak in Putrajaya"Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud said BN's victory in Batang Ai is a vote of confidence for the new prime minister. Perhaps he said that before realising the defeat of BN in the other two seats.
"The result is yet another referendum by the rakyat calling for real changes and not cosmetic changes. It is a rejection of Najib. It is a call for fresh elections," added the party in a statement.
Apart from this, PSM also noted that voters in Bukit Selambau and Bukit Gantang also sent a farewell message to former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad since his presence failed to boost support for the ruling coalition.
In addition, PSM, Pua and political analyst Lim Teck Ghee agreed that the results of the by-elections showed that voters are no longer susceptible to manipulative campaigning tactics.
Seeing between truth and falsehood
Lim, the director of the Centre for Policy Initiatives, said the outcome demonstrated that the Malaysian electorate clearly sees through the electoral charm offensives and political sloganeering.
"They can distinguish between what it perceives to be truth from falsehood, honesty from deception and sincerity from hypocrisy. The continued political spinning and unashamed partisanship of the mainstream media is no longer an advantage but a disaster for BN," he said.
Lim noted that the more BN leaders engage in rhetorical promises and false reforms, the more Malaysians will become cynical and will refrain in supporting them.
He also expressed disappointment that BN has failed to learn to be grounded with the people since their dismal performance in the March 8 general elections, and has taken the country backwards instead with the opportunistic seizure of power in Perak and illusionary reforms.
Lim also pointed out that during one of Najib's first official functions, the new premier had reminded the media to be critical of the government so that leaders would not be arrogant.
"It is a loud wake up call to media editors and their staff to relearn their basic journalism ethics 101 and begin practising reporting without fear of consequences," he said.
See also:
 |