No chance for BN, say Pakatan reps

Pakatan Rakyat leaders are unanimously confident that the Opposition coalition will retain Selangor and Kedah, take Negeri Sembilan and retake Perak.

Reacting to a statement by Monash University don James Chin, Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad told the Malaysia Chronicle that while BN is working hard in Selangor, the opposition coalition is confident of retaining Selangor.

The Seri Setia assemblyman said that it was quite evident that the people in Selangor were quite aware of the ‘perceptible’ difference between the way BN was governing the state and when Pakatan took over.

“Our on the ground feeling is that the folk are happier now and can actually see and feel the difference between our government and the previous one. People can see the developments that have taken place in the 4 years and compare it with the last 50 years. So much more has been done in this short time,” said Nik Nazmi.

Chin had told a conference in Kuala Lumpur today that there was is a 50/50 chance based on polling data that Pakatan Rakyat could lose Selangor and Kedah and Barisan Nasional (BN) could lose Perak and Negeri Sembilan.

DAP’s M Kulasegaran also disagrees with Chin’s findings. Speaking to the Malaysian Chronicle, Kula said that “contrary to what is being touted, people in Perak are very upbeat with the Pakatan coalition.”

“Everyone now knows that the Anwar sodomy charge was politically orchestrated and that even the court has agreed to this,” he said.

Ready for Change

Kula, who is the Ipoh Barat MP, added that the people are ready for a change in Perak and at the federal government level.

“The massive turns out at the Pakatan Convention in Alor Setar is a sign that people are looking the Opposition for leadership at both the state and federal levels.”

“The people are aware that the longest serving party has outlasted its welcome and has taken the voters for granted for too long and we in Pakatan are well placed to serve the people,” said Kula.

Meanwhile, Lee Khai Loon, the PKR Youth deputy chief was buoyant of Pakatan’s chances and dismissed Chin’s findings as academic posturing.

“Academics can structure a survey and depending on the sampling of the survery, read many things into it. But we have been on the ground and we know that people in Perak are unhappy with the way BN grabbed Perak,” Khai Loon told Malaysia Chronicle.

“In Selangor, I have gone to the ground and the ordinary folk are better off now than before. They know where their tax money is going. The less fortunate have better resources and can see the benefits visibly."

Negri Sembilan and Kedah

On Neger Sembilan, Nik Nazmi said that there was a very good chance of Pakatan taking the state.

“The people’s reaction is very positive to us and it will not be too difficult to for us to take a few more seats to form the next state government,” he said.

In Kedah, Nik Nazmi was confident that Pakatan will retain it as the Menteri Besar and the coalition was very popular.

“There should not be any question of 50/50 because the support is overwhelming in Kedah and it was visible at the Alor Setar convention.

No one likes a loser

It’s quite apparent that while political analysts and commentators have an important role and function in helping politicians shape policy, many of their studies may not in fact, take into account the ‘wow’ factor of individuals, which cannot be quantified or rationalised by theories.

Some call this the "It just…is!" syndrome. This is wild card factor than Chin and other Umno-aligned pollsters cannot measure. The classic case of such a truism is the historic "political tsunami of 2008" where no none had given Anwar and motley group of leaders a chance. Yet they swept half the popular vote, and 5 of the country's 13 states.

Going against them in GE-13, due to be called by April 2013 at the latest, is the massive cheating Prime Minister Najib Razak's government is being accused of, and which the Pakatan is trying hard to create public awareness of. Both sides also know the importance of a psy-war although perception alone can never win any election.

"Nobody likes a loser and everyone loves a winner. So the object behind these polls, who is in front, who is more popular is to create a heard instinct type of mentality," PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

"BN is hoping that those who don't follow politics may just vote for them for the sake of continuity, hence the efforts to be painted as the winning coalition. But we think the ordinary and everyday folk are much more savvy than BN gives them credit for. They are well aware of the issues and I am confident, they will exact justice on polling day."

Malaysia Chronicle