A vote for both stability and change?

Najib attributed BN’s losses in urban seats in the general election to a so-called ‘Chinese tsunami’.KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — Barisan Nasional (BN) is not what it used to be with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Umno holding over 80 per cent of the coalition’s parliamentary seats after Sunday’s elections, The Straits Times said today.

In an editorial, the Singapore daily said this followed from a significant flight of the Chinese vote to the opposition DAP.

“This cleavage is not lost on those who are heartened by the outcome, as signalled by rallying stocks and the ringgit. The stability associated with Barisan is, of course, essential for Mr Najib to press on with promised economic and social transformations. At the same time, Malaysians are aware that the benefits of change must trickle down to all segments of society, as social divisions can hold back a nation that has crossed the half century mark,” it said.

It said Najib has expressed concern about what he called a "Chinese tsunami" that side-swiped the BN coalition in urban seats. 

“He thought the trend was harmful, as indeed is any racial streak in voting patterns. This was not all that was revealing about the condition of the body politic. There was also the rural-urban distinction, and class divisions between well-connected Malays and the rural rakyat. Not surprisingly, Mr Najib spoke of national reconciliation, healing and working towards ‘a more moderate and accommodating environment’ after clinching victory,” said the editorial.

The newspaper said the vision of "ubah" (change) painted by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Rakyat coalition — based on what he promised as equity, transparent governance and a careful tending of state finances — had gone down well with the crowds, although it brought the opposition only a few more seats than in the 2008 election. “The sentiment is unlikely to pass till Malaysians see a more even-handed discharge of programmes to reduce segmentations that grew out of policy distinctions originating in the 1970s.”

It said Malaysia has evolved much since then and is set to grow in many areas, spearheaded by Najib's ambitious programmes, encompassing infrastructure, transport and industrial projects. 

“As these plans bear fruit, people's hopes — fed perhaps by the defeats of candidates of the hardline Perkasa movement — will rise for a fairer share-out of opportunities in education, business and government jobs.

“Some pundits had earlier posited the election result as either a vote for stability or change. What Malaysians showed in turning out in record numbers at the polls was perhaps that they want both,” said the editorial.