Game over? Certainly not

Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting – Sun Tzu

On Wednesday, March 28, as soon as the EC’s redrawing of electoral boundaries in Peninsula Malaysia was passed by the Dewan Rakyat, local Facebook and Whatsapp chat groups were flooded with messages essentially crying “game over, BN has won GE14”.

Gloom and doom were the flavours of the day.

Perhaps what was most surprising was that no one was surprised at all. Many acted as if they were caught unawares. Will there be another round of hair-pulling when the Anti-Fake News Bill is passed? Bet on it.

And so, despite what is said about urban areas being the opposition’s strongholds, yesterday's episode raises serious questions about the strength and endurance of the urban-educated in resisting an administration which is becoming increasingly self-serving.

What has BN’s victory in Parliament achieved? Besides practically guaranteeing its win in GE14, it has demoralised opposition supporters and got us busily engaged in reinforcing each other’s darkest predictions; we're easily beaten with hardly a fight by BN’s master strategists.

No, I’m not suggesting that we should allow this event to pass by un-remarked. Not this or any other act which deserves condemnation.

The day that we resign ourselves to injustice and government misdeeds with a shrug is the day to say “game over”.

But being despondent is not the same as being outraged. What we must fear most from this latest BN move to perpetuate its stay in Putrajaya is voter apathy.

Instead, what we need to do is harness our outrage and let it fire us to greater resistance. The goalposts have been moved; let us change our goals.

Analysts say that with the new electoral boundaries, BN can potentially regain two-thirds majority with just 42 percent of the popular vote. Even if your constituency is a sure-fire opposition seat, go to the polling station and help build the opposition majority.

If it wins, let BN be known as the “40% government”. We need this talking point over the next five years. The government may not care about its legitimacy and moral right to rule but we do.

BN’s ability to regain two-thirds majority with a minor share of the popular vote is by no means a given. But only so long as we come out in full force to the polling stations to make sure it doesn’t carry marginal seats.

No party anywhere in the world deserves an unchecked majority in Parliament. Should it come to power, I don’t believe the current opposition can also be trusted to have a two-thirds majority.

Game over? Certainly not. -Mkini