An attempt to drown Pakatan

The prime minister has to stop deluding the rakyat. By using the water crisis to fish for votes, what does it show actually?

COMMENT

In ancient China during the wars of the dynasties, laying siege to a walled city was a common occurence. The military commander in the walled city would try to get his most trusted men to poison the enemy’s water supply in order to stop the siege.

On the other hand, the enemy military commander of the opposing forces would instruct his men to get into the walled city to poison the water supply so that the citizens and the army within would be struck with illness and thus would fail to defend the city.

Therefore, poisoning the water supply was a common military strategy in those days to bring down one’s enemy.

This ancient strategy is definitely being used by the powers-that-be to coerce the voters to vote for BN in the upcoming 13th general election. The launching of this strategy at the end of last year is timed perfectly so that it happens near the polls.

This is in order for the people to vote BN as the so-called water crisis will still be fresh in the rakyat’s minds. Thus the water crisis had to happen just before Parliament is dissolved.

A local English daily dated Jan 13 this year had on page four carried a story of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s visit to Semenyih, Selangor at the Indian Progressive Front (IPF) Selangor’s “Mesra

Bersama Perdana Menteri” gathering at Dataran Tesco on Jan 12 and reported him telling the people to “vote Barisan Nasional in and we will solve your water woes.”

“Selangor has many problems, including that of water, which is yet to be resolved. I feel so sad seeing people, more so, the elderly, struggling to carry buckets of water to their flats, especially on the top floors.

“What if it is 10 floors? The old folks cannot carry them. It is difficult for people to bathe and go about their normal lives,” he said, adding that access to water was the fundamental right of every human being.

He was quoted as saying: “I guarantee that if BN were to be given the mandate, we will resolve the water problem as soon as possible. Let us not play politics. This is not a political game but about the survival of the people. We must solve the basic needs of the people.”

Note that Najib had said, “Let us not play politics”. And rightly so. No one should be playing politics on the sufferings of the rakyat.

Fishing for votes

This means that the water supply problem should be rectified immediately. Pure and simple.

Therefore, dry taps in the Klang Valley (mainly affecting Gombak, Ampang, Cheras and Bandar Tun Razak in KL) should not be a problem anymore and certainly should not continue beyond mid-January.

At the end of the day, the federal government should bear responsibility for this fiasco. It is hypocritical of Najib to say “Let us not play politics” when in the same breath he also urges the rakyat to vote BN in order for BN to put a stop to the water woes.

Who is playing politics now by using the water issue to fish for votes?

The prime minister has to stop deluding the rakyat. By using the water crisis to fish for votes, what does it show actually? Is this an attempt to reap benefits from the difficulties suffered by the rakyat?

Is this the class, style and finesse of someone who aspires to be a great statesman?

It is hoped that the water problem will end fast. If it drags on to nearing the Chinese Lunar New Year, then it only indicates that BN leaders are crazy if they hope to woo the Chinese voters in this

manner as Chinese voters know that “water is under the federal government’s purview”.

All this just goes to show that BN has no more ideas on how to woo the electorate and it also means that they are not too terribly confident that the BR1M cash handouts can do the trick of wooing the voters.

As people’s thinking get more sophisticated, BN’s methods get more backward. People are moving forward but BN is in reverse gear.

For all the talk on “transformation” and the various government transformation programmes, Najib’s BN is now into caveman politics as strong arm tactics are being used to coerce the rakyat to vote for BN.

In addition to that, Najib has lost the plot. If he had called for early polls, he would have already won easily.

Meanwhile, time is running out for him and he is cornered as the 13^th general election will have to be held in March at all costs or else he will be deemed as a foolish and cowardly leader.

Already PAS Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar has suggested that a special parliamentary session be called before Feb 25 for Najib to clear the air over allegations made by businessman Deepak Jaikishan.

At a press conference on Jan 7, Mahfuz has said that he will be seeking an appointment with the Yang DiPertuan Agong and will be submitting a memorandum on the said matter for the Yang DiPertuan Agong’s consideration.

The federal government or Najib must openly come out to rebut Deepak’s allegations. Mahfuz has also voiced his surprise that since the revelations were made by Deepak, neither the government nor Najib have reacted to the allegations.

Is Najib’s position still tenable if he continues to go about as if nothing has happened? All the water politics can act as a diversion but will it wash away Deepak’s allegations from the rakyat’s mind?

Selena Tay is a DAP member and a FMT columnist.