Expect goodies and gutter politics

How will Umno counter the Anwar/Pakatan juggernaut in Kajang? Two words – gutter politics!

COMMENT

Kangkung is history and Kajang is now the story! As of today all roads leads to Kajang, and how does Umno plan to stop Anwar Ibrahim in Kajang?

First they instruct the Election Commission to have the Kajang by-election just days short of the 60 days legal limit.

Why do they do this?

To give the Umno-led Barisan Nasional enough time to reposition all their big guns that they had facing the state governments of Penang, Kelantan and Selangor to now face towards Kajang! Yes it will take them almost two months to do that.

What they fail to compute is that it also gives Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat two months to prepare their game plan for Kajang.

It gives two months for Umno to prepare for their inevitable loss of Kajang to Pakatan. Two months to ‘atur’ a succession plan after Najib Tun Razak. Two months to prepare Najib’s “gracious” exit out of Seri Perdana.

But it also gives our people two months to get behind Pakatan and march together with Pakatan into Kajang –this time hopefully with a bigger majority to kickstart that long march towards Putrajaya.

Imagine the stupidity of giving Anwar two months to go into Kajang to work his magic on the people of Kajang. This is a Kajang where PKR already won with 19,571 votes compared to BN’s 12,747 votes in the last election. This in a state where Pakatan has 44 seats against 12 held by BN.

Umno has to ask themselves this sobering question: who, one on one and on a level playing field can fire up the people of Kajang more? Najib or Anwar Ibrahim?

How will Umno counter the Anwar/Pakatan juggernaut in Kajang? Two words – gutter politics!

Expect goodies

That is why Senator KS Nallakaruppan is already trying to earn his two cents worth by offering himself as the candidate to spearhead BN’s salacious thrust into Kajang.

But even Umno and Najib have learnt that there is only so much you can do with gutter politics. It is sailing too close to the wind, and by doing so they are putting themselves into the danger zone of being suck into the gutter themselves.

Altantuya Shaariibuu alone will resurrect too many ghosts for Najib and present a fait accompali to those from within Umno who want to see Najib gone.

So what is left for Najib and BN? BR1M all over again concentrated within Kajang – an electorates of 38,965 registered voters? But where will they get the money?

Umno’s coffers are no longer open ended. Who will “invest” in a state seat against Anwar ? Huh! Not even Umno warlords or those pliant Chinese towkays are that stupid.

So the money has to come from the people. Win or lose, Najib and this BN government will spend our money and leave us with the bill.

Then there is the question of “who will stand” for BN.

Already Umno grassroots leaders have put their name at the top of the BN list. Will MCA meekly accept ‘demi kepentingan negara’ and all that jazz, or will MCA make a stand on principle?

Then there are the candidates standing against Anwar – each think themselves worthy (in their own opinion!) of having a tilt ala Don Quixote at the proverbial Kajang windmill. They will throw their hats into the ring – that is the Malaysian way, is it not?

Without your hat in the ring how can you be involved in any ‘discussions’ with those people from Umno who has deep pockets to “undur diri demi kepentingan bangsa, and negara” or to become ”frogs” and jump to the tune that Umno dictates?

Anwar’s courage

One this is for sure, Kajang promises more twists and turns that a lorry load of kangkung.

If any of you doubt the courage of Anwar, then doubt no more. This is no political con job over the people of Kajang or Selangor. If he wants to lead Selangor, then he has to do the honorable thing – put himself in front and let the people decide if they want him.

And he is prepared to do this when he is facing the appeal on the Sodomy Two case. He is prepared to do this when he is open to accusation of wanting to overthrow Khalid Ibrahim as the menteri besar.

And do this in the face of overwhelming financial and logistic clout from Umno.

Surely all these require courage and a steadfast belief that you will have the people’s support on your side.

I think in Kajang, Anwar is not thinking of himself. He is thinking first about our future and what he has to do to secure that future for us.

CT Ali is a reformist who believes in Pakatan Rakyat’s ideologies. He is a FMT columnist.