Knives are out in the Malacca polls

 

DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang is probably right. The voter turnout in the Malacca state election could be as low as below 40 percent.

Why do I agree with Lim? Because my gut feeling tells me that very few outsiders are interested in the polls in Malacca. Only the warring politicians and their parties are because their political fortunes are at stake.

The majority of Malaysians, me included, pay little or no attention to the election in the nation’s second-smallest state.

The scant interest aside, I also think that many voters in Malacca couldn’t be bothered about returning to their home state to vote on polling day.

An example is the brother of my friend’s wife, who is from Malacca. A businessman based in Kuala Lumpur, he would dutifully return home to vote at every election, so he told me.

However, come Nov 20, he has already made up his mind to give the state election a miss because he was jaded with the political situation in the country and chose to be indifferent.

“This election in Malacca is unnecessary and meaningless. Because of four unhappy state assemblypersons, half a million voters in Malacca have to suffer the inconvenience of going out to vote in a state election.

“Not only that. Some crazy politicians have caused taxpayers the burden of staging a state election in Malacca, probably for the first time. How many millions will go to waste?” he exclaimed in a disillusioned tone, and understandably so.

The four unhappy Malacca assemblypersons: Idris Haron, Nor Azman Hassan, Norhizam Hassan Baktee and Noor Effandi Ahmad

I share his sentiments. I would probably skip the election too if I were a voter in Malacca.

My key reason for not partaking in the electoral process is this - I want no part of voting for a candidate who might turn out to be a traitor and a political frog later.

Knowing the ‘quality’ of our politicians these days, I will not take chances. My confidence level of politicians is so low today that I feel the next time I will only go out to vote is to vote for myself, and no one else.

I believe there are many ‘thinking’ voters who are just as fed up with politics in this country as me, who might resort to my boycott of the election.

Surely, there will be those preaching responsibility of the sacred vote but let them say this – Malaysian politics are so screwed up that there is nothing sacred about the vote anymore.

We already have four prime ministers in four years. That has never happened before. It goes to show the huge political mess we are in.

Now, we have to face a state election in Malacca. Mind you, there is nothing to stop this from spreading to the other states too. A precedent has been set.

When lawmakers jump here and there to force a change in government, it is a sign that they no longer respect the voters or the democratic institution. That being the case, why should voters show respect for politicians when they do not deserve any?

DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang

As for Lim’s warning that the forthcoming Malacca and Sarawak elections are aimed at delivering a fatal blow against his party, I think the grand old man of the DAP was in his usual “dramatic” self before an election.

The Sarawak election is necessary because it is way overdue but not Malacca’s. For all of Lim’s scepticism, the two state elections could work in DAP’s favour too.

But before the Malacca polls, what are we witnessing now?

Knives are out within the coalition partners on both sides. This is not unexpected, for the marriages among the parties in the two coalitions are shaky at best. Do not expect any marriage of convenience to be a happy and lasting one.

In Pakatan Harapan, it is clear that DAP was unhappy with PKR/Amanah’s decision to work with the four turncoats (they do not deserve to have their names mentioned).

We can expect this to spill over to the local level and internal boycott or sabotage should surprise no one.

Already, Harapan chief Anwar Ibrahim has conceded that selecting the coalition’s candidates has been a difficult one.

This seems to be the typical Anwar – trying to be nice and please everyone. In the end, everyone will be unhappy.

Remember Azmin Ali and his cohorts, dear Anwar. Hoping against hope that they will turn over. What is the end result? This is just selecting candidates for a small state election. And you don’t seem to be able to get it right. Come on, Anwar.

The situation is even murkier on the other side. It is clear that Umno and Bersatu are at each other’s throats and there is no way that the two so-called allies are able to work together, certainly not in Malacca or anywhere else.

Umno veterans Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Najib Abdul Razak

Let me qualify – as long as the Ahmad Zahid Hamidi/Najib Abdul Razak combo is still in charge of Umno and Muhyiddin Yassin still helms Bersatu – their deep-rooted differences could by now be considered “too personal” that patching up would be a monumental task.

It was no surprise to hear Zahid’s fierce salvo at Bersatu yesterday, accusing the latter of getting edgy that Umno will not cooperate with them in the Malacca polls.

Taking to Facebook, Zahid said that “they are afraid of their own shadows because they know about their cruelty and misdeeds”.

The Umno boss also reopened old wounds, saying that as part of Pakatan Harapan, Bersatu worked with DAP to topple BN in 2018 by spreading lies.

"Now they have to face Umno in the Malacca election before they can manipulate stories. The lies they spread have dulled and the people now realise their falsehoods and hypocrisies," Zahid added.

Do not expect Muhyiddin and his Bersatu acolytes to take Zahid’s strong words lying down. Expect this Umno-Bersatu tit-for-tat to continue in the Malacca polls and up till GE15.

I will say this: Let all of them, from both sides, ‘kill’ each other and wipe themselves from the face of the earth. This will make the rakyat happy.

My message is meant for the many “refuse to go away” lawmakers in Harapan as well.

Know when your time is up. Don’t wait for the voters to kick you out. No one is indispensable! - Mkini

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FRANCIS PAUL SIAH is the author of “Hijack in Malaysia: The Fall of Pakatan Harapan”. Obtain autographed copies from sirsiah@gmail.com.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.