Will the people stick with BN rule in next GE?

Given that it will take time for component parties in Pakatan Harapan to iron out their differences, the question is whether the people will stick with Barisan Nasional (BN) rule in the next general election?

The answer may be not as simple as it sounds although we know that the writing has been on the wall for many years now.

There are a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration that may influence the results of the 14th general election, which has to be conducted on or before Aug 24, 2018, two months after the Parliament dissolves automatically on June 24.

The next 30-odd months will determine the voters’ direction, whether swinging towards BN or Pakatan Harapan. At this juncture, of course without a doubt, the ruling coalition would lose big if Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak were to call a snap election, but in politics, things can change overnight.

Some major factors

One major consideration is when the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) goes up beyond the expected growth of five percent, despite implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in April last year.

In short, if the economy returns to be robust as in the 80s and 90s, growing at 8 to 9 percent, there is a chance that BN may regain public confidence. People will look up to the BN government for turning things around for the better, and it has implemented the GST for very good reasons.

Most people will not complain if they see that they are able to earn a high income by improving on the quality of services and products that they produce, without having to take on a second or third job. While they may have scorned (Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister) Ahmad Maslan for allegedly being naïve, most people would be forgiving.

With consistently higher disposal incomes, they will be able to spend quality time with their family members and enjoy a more relaxing lifestyle as in First World countries. In other words, we have achieved the quality and standard of lifestyle that everyone dreams of.

The reality is on the contrary for now. After nearly sixty years of Independence, despite the rich natural resources that we enjoy as a country, we are no better off than the island of Singapore, which had to start from ground zero when it decided to leave Malaysia in 1963.

Another area that is very close to the hearts of the people is the provision of public utilities in both urban and rural areas. If public spending is focused on improving the living conditions of the people, both in peninsular Malaysia and in Sabah and Sarawak, people will have a different opinion of the government. At this juncture, clean water supply is still a major issue to a vast majority of Sarawakians and Sabahans, despite living just beside the dam, not to mention that they will get to enjoy even the slowest Internet connection.

Education has been one of the biggest battlefields for parents who sometimes we do not know whether to send our children to public schools or not. The teachers produced by our teachers’ training colleges appear to be uncommitted to their work and lack the knowledge that they need to teach the subjects.

If efforts are made to improve the quality of education in the country, the private education providers will be given a run for their money.

Along with this, the BN government should wipe off all the debts incurred by the young people who had to borrow from the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) to complete their education. These are first-time voters and precious in the eyes of the people in the corridors of power.

Currently, when students on PTPTN loans are unable to feed themselves, all that the higher education minister can say is to urge the public universities to find the money to feed the students. This should not be the case, as public university funds have already been slashed, and their money should be spent on quality research work and improving the teaching facilities to be at least on par with the private universities.

Idris Jusoh should have suggested to Najib to slash the budget allocated to the Prime Minister’s Office, which is feeding several ‘unproductive’ ( as some put it, ‘no action, talk only’) ministers.

Next is the most feared by the Pakatan Harapan leaders. If BN adopts an open mind towards the election watchdog, turning to both Bersih 2.0 and TindakMalaysia to revamp the Election Commission (EC) and all the procedures set up to ensure a clean and fair election, there would be a total change of attitude in many of us.

Instead of being ‘accused’ as pro-opposition, most of us including those with Bersih 2.0 and TindakMalaysia would not only appear as pro-BN, but they would give BN the boost in votes. However, tricking the people the way how Hindraf has been tricked will not help return people’s confidence towards the BN.

If you ask me what’s the next thing that would help return the people’s confidence towards BN, my suggestion is, revamp the judiciary and ensure that judges who follow the rule of law are placed there at every level. Some cases would have to be reviewed or perhaps dropped, including those that are against members of the opposition.

Being transparent about 1MDB

Without a doubt, everyone wants to know the answers to all the questions about Najib’s pride of the nation, 1MDB.

If Najib emerges from his hideout to openly explain, and accept responsibility for whatever mistakes made during his tenure as prime minister, finance minister and chairperson of 1MDB’s advisory board, the people will give him the thumbs-up!

They will be forgiving and work along with Najib to solve 1MDB’s woes. Even if Najib had to go to prison, they would still give him the credit for being bold and truthful, thus saving the nation from heading towards bankruptcy.

Currently, there are two rumours that I am hearing which I will mark as ‘rumours’ until we can verify the sources. Rumour No 1: that our cash-rich Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has been sold to China, in exchange for some forms of financial aids to Malaysia.

Rumour No 2: People in the oil and gas industry are watching Jan 16, being the date that an international delegation will be travelling to Iran to check their nuclear programme. In all likelihood, they will urge the United Nations to lift the trade sanctions against Iran. Because Iran needs the cash, it will be prepared to dump more oil into the international market to the point that it will make offshore oil production no longer viable.

If either of these rumours is true, then Malaysia is in real deep trouble. When Malaysia hits the rock bottom, people will only blame it further on Najib and 1MDB, although Rumour No 2, when it happens, is out of control of the prime minister.

Along with the 1MDB ‘Mother of Scandal’, as some put it, my final point is this - if BN ups its ante against corruption, and is prepared to go after the big sharks, there will be a lot of hope for BN to return to power and the swing of votes will be unexpected with BN having a huge majority compared to what even the now-defunct Pakatan Rakyat had received during the last general election.

As one reader wrote: “Greed and corruption. These two come hand-in-hand. And it's now a culture (in Malaysia), as has been for many years, in all government departments. Corruption thrives due to the examples set by the country’s leaders. Because the leaders do it, everyone down the ranks do it too. This fact was common knowledge for many years. Only the authorities pretend that it is not. Why? Because they too are guilty of corruption.”

Chinese New Year is coming soon. Within now and the new year, there will be a lot of police roadblocks where the major focus is not on speedsters, but on those committing minor traffic offences and foreigners. Tell me, who is happy with the way how the manpower is being deployed, but whenever we complain about traffic jam, there is permanently a short of personnel to direct the traffic?

Apart from the factors mentioned above, I cannot think of any other reasons why people would return to BN rule. I welcome any feedback.

Najib, Zahid or Anwar as PM?

Everyone knows, and even Najib would realise it that, with the current scenario, should he call a snap election, chances are that even factions within Umno may revolt against Umno. This is because Najib is still the prime minister.

Assuming that Najib stepped down tomorrow and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi takes over, if he continues the legacy set by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Zahid will also get the boos and brickbats. The anger of the people has been welling up so much that it was enough to just push half a million yellow-clad people on the streets the moment the clarion call was made by Maria Chin Abdullah.

At least in recent times Dr Mahathir has done some justice to the country, but most of us agree that Dr Mahathir is short of ammunition and likely to be regretting over what he has done in the past to make the Umno presidency unassailable.

Now, would Anwar Ibrahim be the next prime minister then? Let’s see how Pakatan Harapan put its act together this time to appeal to the middle ground Malaysians (both East and West, rural and urban), after PAS has emerged after going through one bout of diarrhea, giving rise to a splinter, Parti Amanah Negara.

Islamist party PAS boasted recently that it would place candidates in more than 10 state constituencies in the next Sarawak polls, but we shall see if this happens.

Perhaps, Amanah should go down to contest for Pakatan Harapan candidates in the same constituencies contested by PAS to see if the people accept PAS or Amanah. It is not for Selangor PAS secretary Mohd Khairuddin Othman to say who Selangor PAS accepts or rejects, when his own seat was wrested from Umno mainly because of people’s support for Anwar.

A jailed Anwar has a stronger selling point for Pakatan Harapan’s election campaign, because deep within each one’s heart is the yearning to see our own Nelson Mandela or Aung San Suu Kyi rising from the ashes - and the birth of a new Malaysia!

They say, let the best man win. Anyone who will be bold, truthful and transparent, and yet able to capture the peoples’ aspirations, will be the next prime minister highly-respected by the people.

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STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008. -Mkini