100,000 instant citizenships: Can Pakatan still hope to win GE-13

Nearly a week has passed since PAS vice president Husam Musa lambasted the government over the disclosure that 100,000 foreigners were given citizenships by the National Registration Department so as to qualify them as voters. As usual, not a single sound has come back from the Election Commission or Prime Minister Najib Razak despite insisting he was sincere to get to root of the votes fraud problem.

Strange that Najib is willing to set up a bi-partisan Parliamentary Select Committee but not ready to order an immediate probe, which should be simpler, to look into this seismic fraud allegation.

Husam had said Bangladeshis and Chinese were also among those who submitted their forms and were not subjected to any background checks, adding that the "conspiracy has placed the country in danger".

To him, it was puzzling that these newly-crowned citizens had almost immediately registered themselves as voters, adding that there must be somebody masterminding such efforts. “Those people are only interested to become citizens and not voters."

He then called on political parties especially Pakatan Rakyat to come out with a solution. “The people of Malaysia must protest. This is a dangerous act,” he warned.

Well the cat is out of the bag. First there was evidence of 1,600 foreigners who were given citizenship and became instant voters in Selangor. Then an extra 30,000 voters were discovered in Penang. But the revelation by Husam Musa takes the cake at 100,000 voters.

Pack up and leave

Wow, how is Pakatan Rakyat going to win the election? It’s a hopeless situation and we might as well call it a day, pack our bags and leave. These figures may just be the tip of an iceberg. Statistics have always shown that 90% of all crimes are never ever reported.

Husam said the people must protest at this dangerous act. But how are we going to protest? Who is going to listen to us? EC's Wan Ahmad? Maybe MCA or MIC?! Does UMNO know what’s happening? Are NRD and the Election Commission acting alone without UMNO’s knowledge? Isn’t such an attempt an act of high treason to the nation? How about another Bersih?

The last Bersih march on July 9 was attended by 6,000 people according to the police. 1,700 were arrested and treated to a lavish meal, so say the police. The rest were bombarded by tear gas and water cannons for refusing to be arrested. Yellow was declared an illegal colour and anyone wearing Yellow was arrested without rhyme or reason. Bersih was also declared ‘kotor’ or unclean. There were probably more Riot Police than marchers on that fateful day.

But Bersih has come and gone, and the BN government continues to ignore its demands for free and fair elections. To the BN, why should it comply with all the 8 demands when it believes that the past elections were conducted freely and fairly? There is absolutely no proof that the elections were rigged, it insists, and the latest exposes’ are just figures. Can Husam show any proof? Short of asking all 100,000 new citizens to come forward to testify, the government will just shrug their shoulders and say there is no proof.

The BN government has always believed in what they believe. And any ‘charlatan guru’ can attest that if you truly believe, you will achieve. Doesn’t matter whether what you believe is true or false. If you believe it blindly enough, it will always be true.

Psychological war-fare

So, we can’t blame BN for denying the obvious. If what they were doing was wrong, how come they managed to rule this country for 50 years? Also we can’t blame them for looking down on us and taking us for fools. To them, they actually think that we are the fools. Can you imagine? And they are at a loss why fools like us would want to abandon them?

Controversies like the JAIS raid on DUMC are engineered to deflect the people’s attention from the election system’s inconsistencies, while at the same time, rouse the hard-core right-wingers to seethe in anger and create a scene. Then PAS Youth can jump in and make a fool of themselves.

Pakatan Rakyat cannot beat the BN in the art of psychological warfare. The BN are professionals, while trying not to look like one. Pakatan are just amateurs at this game.

No one knows when the election will be until BN has consolidated all its strategies. Overdue since March 2011 as BN was sceptical at its chances, this time round they want to ensure that no stone is left unturned when the big day comes which means nothing less than a two-thirds majority.

Bersih chief Ambiga has announced that there are no immediate plans for a Bersih 3.0 unless the Government continues to ignore its 8 demands for a free and fair election. So far the government has been trying to stall the process by offering some sort of compromise every now and then.

Some have called on Perkasa – the champion of the Malays to act on the accusations that many foreigners were given citizenships. Malays like Ibrahim Ali would never allow such a thing to happen, which would upset the balance of the true Malays in this country, whom he proudly champions.

Malaysians have called on all peace-loving and good-hearted politicians from the BN to stand up and oppose the evil that is going on. But we doubt that there are any conscientious politicians left in the BN fold.

There are some who feel that a Malaysian citizenship is now a dime a dozen, which ‘makes us look cheap and like some big garbage can. Folks, before u know it we'll be knee-deep in foreigners and by then it will be too late. Others feel that UMNO has reached a point of no return and another Bersih rally is necessary and unavoidable. Some have even appealed to the King to intervene, which is doubtful as his Royal Highness is beyond politics.

- Malaysia Chronicle