Beware the ides of March

WHATEVER THE DATE - A NEW WAVE OF TSUMANI WILL BE THERE. VOTERS AND MALAYSIANS ARE LOOKING FOR CHANGE

Another tsunami in 2011?

Mariam Mokhtar, Malaysia Chronicle

Spare a thought for the few individuals who have to select the day for the general election (GE-13). The pressure on them must be immense. No, not the politicians, but their bomohs. Some may argue that the polling date will only happen if the diary of the wife of a senior politician is clear that day. Others might even suggest that APCO will want to have their say, too.

Speaking to reporters after the BN convention, Najib downplayed talk that the event was held in preparation for an early general election. He said, “The election can be held at any time. It’s up to us to decide when is the best time.”

BN are buoyed by their recent triumphs in the by-elections in Hulu Selangor, Galas in Kelantan and Batu Sapi in Sabah. Some people may say success breeds more success. However, success may also lead to complacency and that smug feeling, which makes them think they are invincible. BN’s successes should be seen as a blessing in disguise. PR is forced to focus their efforts better.

Anwar’s protracted trial is calculated to wear down the opposition and the man. Another ruse is Anwar’s APCO meeting with the parliamentary rights and privileges committee. This was hastily convened without warning and denied Anwar the opportunity to present his case. The committee chairman and Dewan Rakyat Speaker, became judge, jury and executioner for Anwar. Anwar is made of sterner stuff and these adversities serve to strengthen his resolve and character.

Internal elections for all the BN component parties have been shelved until after GE-13. No party, incumbent or opposition, is free of infighting. However, having witnessed how PRK’s was particularly messy, none of the BN parties would want to expose theirs to scrutiny. If Najib was toppled as the president of Umno, before GE-13, can anyone identify a clear successor especially as the DPM is unpopular with the non-Malay electorate?

Samy Vellu’s exit was timed perfectly but at what cost? He has been promised a role as a roving ambassador for Malaysia as his presence is detrimental to BN. Remember how Taib Mahmud was sidelined in the Sibu by-elections as people were upset by him? Samy Vellu has the same negative effect on people, hence he had to go. However, not all is lost with Samy Vellu. He gets to ‘plant’ his man in MIC and still retain his grip on the party. Palanivel would be wise to hold elections for leader soon, to avoid being dubbed as the ‘puppet on a string’.

It is wrong for Najib to think we are gullible. Khir Toyo and his arrest may well turn out to be a whitewash. Although Toyo has been arrested, it is only on a lesser charge out of a long list of scandalous wrong-doings. If photographs of him being arrested are anything to go by, he does not look like a man condemned. He is smiling and happy. The impression that we are fed is that he is the sacrificial lamb but if we believe that, then we deserve to be called Goofy, affable but stupid. Khir Toyo’s retains his role as Mickey Mouse.

Naturally, Mahathir Mohamd and Rafidah Aziz suddenly patching up their differences is another clue to GE-13. Rafidah is going to head TalentCorp which is supposed to reverse Malaysia’s brain-drain. Does BN expect us to believe in their sincerity when they tell us that talented expatriates will be given 10-year passes and other special privileges and yet Malaysia’s own talent are not cultivated nor encouraged, and given more support and incentives to stay?

The signs of GE-13 are all there. So where is Paul the Octopus when we need him?