No more feel-good factor for BN

With the surprise of an early election now gone, Najib will find out soon that his polls date will no longer be a secret.

COMMENT

A stale Barisan Nasional, with its image tarnished and its glitter diminishing, is in desperate need of a new image and a new face to get back its traditional “feel-good factor” in Malaysian politics.

With the general election nearing rapidly, BN is finding itself cornered with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak failing to cash in on numerous chances to regain popularity. The missed opportunities, since June last year to hold early polls, have pushed BN to the limit of its capacity.

The 2013 Budget – seen as a popular, electoral budget – was one of BN’s attempts to shore up its crumbling base. The small handouts (as provided for under the budget) came in trickles and did nothing to boost BN’s image. There was no real feel-good factor after the budget was unveiled.

A flurry of accusations against Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, further eroded BN’s image. Besides, people have been treating Najib with disdain for delaying the announcement of the polls date.

The fact that Najib is undecided over the polls date shows that BN is worried it might suffer a defeat.

Najib had had his fair share of feel-good factors when he took over the helm of the government from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2009. Since then, it has been an uphill battle for BN to regain the high ground.

Moreover, Najib’s hesitation also showed up his weaknesses – his indecisiveness and lack of tact in outplaying his opponents.

With the element of surprise gone, the polls date can no longer be kept a secret.

It has been reported in many blogs and online news portals that BN is facing a silent revolt that could lead to the downfall of Najib even before the polls are called.

While this seems to be a long shot, is BN seeking to push forward new faces as leaders in order to regain its lost glitter? Nevertheless, it is clear that BN has failed to outwit the opposition given the blurry situation over the election date.

But BN is hoping that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim might lose his patience over the delay and commit some tactical mistakes. Yet again, the BN strategists have failed to try Anwar’s patience to its limits.

Opposition seems well prepared

There have been many times when BN showed it was gearing up for early polls in 2011 and 2012. This kept the opposition on high alert, forcing Pakatan Rakyat to campaign literally on a daily basis in order not to be caught napping when Najib dissolves Parliament.

By constantly pushing back the election date, the BN hopes Pakatan will eventually run out of money and patience. This did not happen.

On the contrary, Pakatan seems well prepared for the 13th general election, based on its rallies and its constant highlighting of controversial issues linked to BN throughout the year.

The fact that the opposition is warning the regime not to delay the polls beyond April, and to stop any race-based campaigns, is seen as unhealthy for BN. However, some local pundits believed that BN is wary of calling for polls before April 2013.

The theory that has been floating around for some time now is that BN will eventually call for polls in April, thus forcing the four Pakatan-led states to hold the state polls at the same time.

It is apparent, yet again, that Anwar’s mind games – with his threats of not holding the Selangor state polls if elections were called earlier than expected – did not go unnoticed in the BN camp. Is it possible that it is Anwar, and not Najib, who will dictate when the polls will take place?

It is apparent, though, that the longer the Najib government holds on to power, the lesser its chances of burnishing its image in the eyes of the public.

The latest BN’s intention – of fielding only clean candidates – is yet to be seen. It is certain that the list of BN candidates will contain current ministers and MPs.

With all the Pakatan’s unsavoury revelations about BN, it is probable that BN will be on the defensive in the next election.

A defensive BN will not bring good results at the polls. This is what Pakatan is aiming at while BN stumbles on a proper election date.

KL-based Amir Ali works for an Indonesian NGO called the Warisan Melayu Riau, which is based in Bengkalis, Riau.