How the Ayer Kuning by-election produced three winners

 All three parties won in their own ways – but what does it all mean for Malaysians?

The Ayer Kuning by-election showed that the three political groups that went into the battlefield each won in their own way. What do these three wins mean for Malaysia?

Many said Perikatan Nasional lost the election. I disagree.

PN actually won by retaining their vote bank among the Malays. I do not think right-thinking Malaysians, especially non-Malays, would ever vote for PN as long as they walk the “Haji-Babi-DAP” campaign line.

At the next general election, I predict that PN will use the “Cina-Komunis-Kristian” theme for its campaign.

Capturing the Malay mind

Why does PN stick to this racial and religious campaign strategy? The answer is simple. PN needs to show Malaysians that it is they who hold the Malay minds and narrative, not Umno or Barisan Nasional.

PKR and Amanah have never held the Malay mind, because most Malays, from professors to farmers, are of the same mind in relation to their simplistic understanding of the alleged threats to Islam and the Malays posed by other communities. Shameful, but there it is.

Thus, PN will strike up a coalition with Sabah and Sarawak parties dominated by non-Malays. thereby producing something similar to BN’s 60-year rule of “multicultural politics”.

That is why PN, especially PAS, will never budge from destroying racial and religious harmony so that it can win a general election by securing simple-minded Malay voters.

What did BN win?

What then would constitute a win for Barisan Nasional? BN, or rather Umno, won by humbly admitting they need the non-Malays to secure a win and remain in government.

BN chairman and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi made the right call in going on a moderate campaign; he managed to prevent Umno Youth chief Akmal Saleh from using his usual bullying tactics of insulting DAP and non-Malays.

Akmal transformed

I would like to record my respect for Akmal for being able to show – for the first time – a semblance of Malaysian leadership, rather than just Malay leadership.

I would say or estimate that the low voter turnout was in favour of BN-Pakatan Harapan. What if a higher voter turnout favoured PN? That would mean more and more Malays going for PN’s “Babi-DAP” campaign, and that would spell disaster for Malaysian politics.

Perhaps in two more years, the Malay vote bank could turn in favour of Umno to the tune of 55%. Umno could then claim to be the voice of the Malays. However, I feel that in Malaysia’s politics, we should already be in favour of a Malaysian voice rather than just a Malay one.

But then again, I may just be fantasising, looking at how public universities have become more conservative, and in some cases also extremist right-wing.

Protest-votes for PSM

What of PSM? How did they win? PSM won because some voters were fed up with both BN-PH and PN. These voters succumbed to columnists and self-appointed ambassadors of a Malaysia without racial and religious politics.

I have said many times that change will take time, diplomacy and patience. However, many disagree and want a sweeping Trump-like change immediately, if not yesterday.

Khairy for Gerakan president

PSM needs to do three things to be considered a serious player. They need a strong coalition, perhaps with Muda, MAP, Gerakan and Pejuang. They need to sit down and propose charismatic leaders like Khairy Jamaluddin to present a viable third force.

I really wonder why Khairy is still hoping to be accepted back into Umno with a red carpet laid out for him. Forget it. Khairy should just join Gerakan and lead by de facto popularity to replace the invisible Dominic Lau.

Away with deep ideology

Politics of the future is about digital presence, not so much PSM’s heavy philosophy and ideology.

PSM needs to up the ante and shed off their “Indian” look as well as their “we do not care about race and religion” stance. If you want to be in politics, you need to talk about religion and race as well, and entwine it with socialist ideologies and philosophies.

If not, PSM will be relegated to a party of hardworking individuals left on the sidelines.

3rd force leader in waiting

What do all these wins mean to Malaysia? I am sorry to say racial and religious issues are still alive and well. One party or coalition will still harp harder on them, and we will still live dangerously.

This by-election clearly showed that if Malaysians abandon pragmatism and realpolitik, we will be allowing PN to walk freely into Putrajaya. We may as well give them a walkover if many think they intend to give GE16 a pass.

Finally, the third force needs a strong leader – but the leader is dreaming of “Keluar Sekejap Saja” and relishing the idea of re-entering the old Malaysian politics of “Haji, Babi and DAP” rhetoric. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.