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Can the BN save itself?

Democracy, M'sian politics, Malaysian elections 14 Responses »

Mar 112009

The majestic Democracy Tree: Visitors from all ethnic groups gathered here yesterday morning – (Click to expand) Photos by Kinta Kid

More visitors turned up in the evening; notice the bouquet beneath the tree

The BN knows what it needs to do to survive: it has to push through major reforms to wipe our corruption and abuse of power to win back lost support. But is it really capable of such reforms? This was the cover story I wrote for a recent issue of Aliran Monthly:

As the Umno election and general assembly in March approaches, the party faces a huge dilemma.

It is phasing out a leader (Abdullah Badawi) it feels is not suitable to lead the party following a general election setback last year which saw it lose its coveted two thirds parliamentary majority, while five out of 13 states fell to opposition hands.

Umno is now about to endorse a new leader, Najib Razak, whose own leadership credentials are in tatters following crushing by-election defeats in Permatang Pauh last August and Kuala Terengganu in January.

Jubilation as ‘East Coast Monsoon’ swamps KT

Ethnic and inter-religious relations, M'sian politics, Malaysian elections 20 Responses »

Jan 182009

k-terengganu-results-017 The motorcyclists celebrated late into the night on the streets of KT

And so it came to pass (Pas!). The ‘East Coast Monsoon’ swamped this coastal town and swept the BN aside. It was a victory not just for Pas but also the Pakatan, whose politicians helped in the campaign, and activists, many of them non-Muslims, who campaigned vigorously during the campaign. They worked together to dislodge the BN candidate despite the heavy machinery of the state being deployed.

Most of all, it was a victory for the people of Kuala Terengganu, who cast away their fears, doubts and the attempts to buy their votes through promises of allocations and projects.

Immediately after the results, an analyst told me the swing towards Pas came largely from younger voters. How they celebrated on the streets: hundreds of bikers and others in cars, waving flags and shouting in jubilation. They pulled down flags from the streets, draped themselves with them or just simply waved them, circling the streets of town on their bikes and waving at passers by as they vroomed by. By midnight, the the main road in town had been almost stripped of Pas flags and the only flags left fluttering were the BN and Umno flags.

LIVE from KT: Pas clinches nail-biting victory

M'sian politics, Malaysian elections 8 Responses »

Jan 172009

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Bemused Light Strike Force personnel keep an eye on the good-humoured exchange and canvassing outside the Chendering School. Thousands of police have been deployed

k-terengganu-polling-day-003 Exuberant Pas supporters outnumber the BN folks just before noon: This scene is repeated in other streets of KT today.

The final majority is 2,631. Congrats, blog reader Rahman S; you came really close with your “2,968 votes with +-2% error” prediction! Thanks to all who helped with information from the counting centre and the media. Outside I can hear a whole convoy of honking motorbikes and other vehicles passing on the main road. As in Permatang Pauh, it was the celebrating motorcyclists who were the first to be so sure of victory soon after polling stations had closed…

2105: Pas leads by 2,424 in the official tally, with two boxes left. It’s impossible for the BN to catch up.

Congratulations to the victors! Where does this leave Najib? Anyway, now I can have something to eat! But first, we are off to check out the scene on the streets.

2104: Pas leads by 2,400 votes with three more boxes left.

2103: It’s now a 1,700 majority with 10 boxes more to be counted.

2102: Pas has stretched its lead to 1,500, as it enters the home straight. Eighteen boxes more to be counted.

2058: Pas has now widened its official lead to 1,300. What a roller-coaster ride this has been!

2051: Pas has now taken a 900-majority lead, according to the official tally.

2049: Officially, Pas leads by 600 votes now.

2043: According to an unofficial Pas source, still unconfirmed, as related to an activist, Pas has won. According to another source, who just phones up, the unofficial majority is 2,700 or so. But let’s see how the official results pan out.

2031: According to unofficial sources, Pas has taken a 2,700-majority lead with over 100 boxes out of 144 counted. Officially, Pas is in the lead by 200 votes.

Opposition buoyant as campaigning draws to a close

Democracy, M'sian politics, Malaysian elections 11 Responses »

Jan 162009

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Pakatan supporters in upbeat mood ahead of the polls: this was the scene at a main road in KT at around 4.00pm, when Pas, DAP and PKR supporters waved at passing motorists. Among the enthusiastic road-side flag-wavers were bloggers from KL and activists from the PJ Abolish ISA vigils

2010: It’s proving to be hard to call, but Pakatan supporters are quietly confident that their candidate will coast through with a 1,000 to 2,000-vote majority. A few are predicting a bigger majority. Much will depend on whether Pas can build on the support it already has.

The Pakatan campaigners are everywhere. When I take time off this evening to look up the house I lived in when I was seven along Jalan Cerong Lanjut – I actually find the terrace house still standing, much to my delight – I notice a familiar figure walking up to the Hindu temple nearby. I take a closer look and it is Sivarasa Rasiah from PKR accompanied by a DAP activist. I stroll back to the old house and promptly run into a couple more DAP activists, who are making the rounds.

LIVE from KT: The buzz at a Chinese cafe

Democracy, M'sian politics, Malaysian elections 28 Responses »

Jan 162009

k-terengganu-by-election-0201

1100: We return to the same cafe where we had roti paun yesterday. This seems to be a happening place. Seated at the table by the entrace, a couple of Pas volunteers are working on a laptop. They have also blown small green Pas balloons which bob around.

Inside the crowded cafe, the sound of chatter fills the air. People are reading the Chinese newspapers. At a table near us, a Chinese guy is looking at the front page of the latest Suara Keadilan, with the headline “Najib bohong” about the Permatang Pauh pledges.
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