Can Psy horse power boost BN?

Is getting Psy a pathetic reflection of how desperate BN has become in gearing up for the coming 13th general election?

COMMENT

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad just cannot have enough of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, finding any excuse possible to meet the actor, be it here or in India.

But the rendezvous with Shah Rukh Khan is always a private affair for Mahathir unlike the desperately seeking-attention Barisan Nasional, which is banking on South Korean “happening” rapper Psy do deliver them the much-needed people’s support.

BN has invited the rapper to grace its Chinese New Year open house in Penang on Feb 11, a move which comes at a cost of RM1 million to RM3 million.

Psy will be doing his “horse riding dance” or tarian kuda in the presence of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and some 60,000 guests expected at the CNY open house.

Where will BN get the money from? Has it “appointed” sponsors to take care of the massive payment Psy wants for his debut performance here?

Does BN or rather Najib seriously think getting the 35-year-old singer, songwriter, rapper and dancer Psy to do his “Gangnam Style” dance moves will bring in the crowd to its CNY open house?

If yes, then it is a pathetic reflection of how desperate BN has become in gearing up for the coming 13th general election.

Looks like BN will rope in anyone famous to help it get the rakyat’s support and going by the fact that Psy’s “Gangnam Style” exceeded one billion views on YouTube last year, BN is under the delusion that he is the man who can help deliver the much-needed grassroots support.

But then why waste money on Psy? Why did BN not turn to Mahathir for help in getting Shah Rukh Khan to perform at the CNY open house?

With the Bollywood actor and Mahathir being chums, it would have been a case of “entertainment for free for all” with SRK enthralling guests with his famous “Chamak Chalo” item number.

BN feeling the heat

Resorting to a foreigner to pull in the crowd paints a less than impressive picture of BN, which is no longer certain of its appeal in the eyes of the rakyat.

If BN, as its chairman Najib claims, is doing wonders for the people, why the sudden insecurity over the number of people turning up for its CNY open house?

Irrespective of whether BN is playing to the gallery, the end result is disastrous in that it has made the party a laughing stock among the rakyat.

To blame its nemesis, the opposition Pakatan Rakyat as Penang Gerakan vice-chairman Wong Mun Hoe did, of having started such a trend is not going to help.

Wong claimed if PAS could showcase its ability of luring local artistes, there was no harm in BN following suit.

The lame excuse by Wong does not justify the millions BN is willing to part with just to boast of a full house turnout at its CNY open house.

Rather, it is the point that PKR deputy information head Sim Tze Tzin has raised that should worry BN – that the Psy act shows that BN is desperately trying to woo support among the young.

Sim says the people would question the costs involved in bringing the South Korean to Penang.

Shaky confidence and rap not helpful

As always, BN’s member parties, the MIC and MCA, have little to say over the Psy act coming to town; maybe the fact that 60,000 guests are due at the BN-organised CNY open house has silenced them into speaking against such costly move.

Meanwhile, the move by Psy’s Malaysian fans pleading with the rapper to reject the invitation seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

The Malaysians fans flooded Psy’s Facebook webpage with messages pleading that he not become BN’s political tool.

A lengthy English-language message has been copied and pasted on almost all of Psy’s recent Facebook updates by many Malaysian Facebook users and with some even posting the same message in the Korean language.

“Dear our idol, Psy, we love your song and we love how Gangnam Style can rock the party. However, please choose not to come to Malaysia this time.

“If you choose to come to Malaysia, you will become the political tool of Barisan Nasional. It is a political party which is seriously corrupted and always abuses power to persecute Malaysians,” reads the message.

The message also claims that the CNY event came from the taxpayers’ money. But BN claims the open house would be sponsored by a private company.

Looks like there is no stopping BN and Psy, not when it suits the former.

Jeswan Kaur is a freelance writer and a FMT columnist.