SWELL-HEADED NAJIB'S BIGGEST MISTAKE: CHINESE VOTERS - ARE YOU SURE THEY ARE BACK TO SUPPORT BN?

When Barisan Nasional (BN), who have exclusively governed this nation since Merdeka in 1957 won the recently-concluded Sarawak state elections, there was widespread belief by the governing coalition that the hard-to-win-over Chinese have come back to support them in full measure.

In thinking rationally, one swallow doesn't make a summer. But when the by-elections in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar saw BN win big on June 18, 2016 the clarion call was sounded by the virtually-defunct Malaysian Chinese Association or MCA that the Chinese were now fully back in the fold to support BN.

Those who have jumped on the high horse to think in this manner need to rethink quickly. If one swallow doesn't make a summer, two or three swallows are also not going to make a summer.

In fact and reality, it is easy to witness through the outpourings on social media that the Chinese community in Malaysia have made no significant shift in ground to support BN.

There remains that major dilemma within BN which their leaders must face up to that the Chinese voters are not that easy to convince and it will take a real major overhaul on the part of BN before the Chinese even entertain the notion of supporting them.

All said and done so far there is really a rallying cry on the part not only by the Chinese but also by a growing majority of the Malay and Indian communities that unless change within BN is forthcoming, these people will look for viable alternatives and options in the coming 14th general election scheduled to be held in 2018.

The alternatives and options

There are now a number of covert moves in the background being made by the opposition coalition of Pakatan Harapan to try and mend the acrimonious relations between Parti PAS and Amanah and bring the warring factions under the umbrella of the opposition.

This makes perfect sense as this is the only way forward for the opposition coalition to mount a formidable challenge to govern from Putrajaya post-14th GE in 2018.

The Chinese are still obviously in a state of revolt and are watching and monitoring closely how the opposition coalition of Pakatan Harapan will evolve. This puts the onus of responsibility on Pakatan Harapan to accordingly respond and re-invent themselves to suit the fast-changing political landscape of Malaysia.

Ever since the last general election, the Chinese community have been leading the charge to force a change of government and they are now not alone as a number of scandals and political debacles have caused many Malaysians to shift their support for a viable alternative to BN.

This is why there is a groundswell of support now by Malaysians of all walks of life hoping fervently that the opposition coalition of Pakatan Harapan consisting of PKR, DAP and Amanah, will unite in a bold show of power with Parti Pas by settling their differences through dialogue and discussion.

If Parti Pas moves forward and gets back to thinking right in a multi-racial and multi-religious Malaysia and if the Pakatan Harapan political parties can shift their stance to be more accepting of Part PAS' desire to promote liberal and forward moving Islam, then a deal can be struck whereby the opposition can thrash BN in any general election that is free and fair.

But the middle ground must be reached by the opposition political parties and whatever hurdles and obstacles must be overcome and it can be seen that the Chinese are warming up to this possibility.

This is why the Chinese support of BN is not there still and will possibly never be there as they have most certainly shown that they have burnt their bridges with MCA, Gerakan and BN as a whole.

New approaches

This is why new approaches need to be taken into addressing the grouses and political sentiments by the opposition of not only the Chinese community but also of those of the growing number of restive and restless Malays and Indians who collectively account for the popular vote in this country.

BN is actually clinging on to power by the skin of their teeth and they are in reality like a house of cards on shifting ground now and this is why there is political instability and uncertainty in the country at the present.

Going by the developments that have transpired in the political scenario of this country there are signs that the exclusive governance of BN since Merdeka in 1957 is drawing to an end as there are really the rumblings of change and these undercurrents have been identified for some time now.

In the final analysis, it is only the opposition that more and more Malaysians are beginning to look to for salvation to save this presently rogue nation from its false democracy and to prevent it from descending into being a completely failed state. - MAIL BAG