Why Pakatan is freaking out over #UndiRosak

By Hafidz Baharom

There have been so many parables over Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional that I have pretty much lost track of which one actually tells the tale properly.

Initially, it was a mere story of Pepsi versus Coke, and both of them might trigger diabetes and make you lose your leg if you consume too much.

From there, it has moved on to fruits A versus B, Bakery A versus Bakery B and even McDonald’s versus Ramli burger.

Personally, I’d rather compare Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional with Samsung and Apple.

The parable is simple, Apple runs on Samsung chips. Both have sued each other for copyright infringement, both openly mock each other in ads, and both have evolved over time.

Pakatan has decided to give PPBM the most number of seats to contest in GE14 and the prime minister’s post, just like putting a faulty Samsung chip into an Apple phone.

Thus, the #UndiRosak (spoil-vote) movement is like consumers skipping this year’s offer of models to wait for one that actually won’t blow up in their faces — particularly because this one doesn’t have a refund or recall policy.

So, is spoiling your vote irrational and emotional, as some analysts point out? No. It’s the most rational choice there is when both models can blow up in our faces. You’ll choose to wait for the next one which fixes the problem.

And in the case of general elections, the next model will take five more years.

And so, out of desperation for keeping their market share, Pakatan decides there is a need to somehow keep selling their product pretty much using any tactic necessary —from derision and mockery to even having an Amanah vice-president go out and ask the police and the Election Commission to investigate those wanting to spoil their votes.

Some go so far as to accuse BN of causing the “spoil-the-vote” movement. In fact, analysts and activists aplenty are trying to say that not voting will benefit BN.

Well, here’s a news flash — they don’t care. They’ve seen beyond the propaganda of fear being marketed by Pakatan.

Sound bytes like “this is our last chance” raises the question why is this the last chance? Is Pakatan going to die after GE14?

“This is the last chance to save the country” raises other questions. Save the country from what? Is there a nuclear missile somewhere targeting us, just waiting, in case Pakatan loses?

Or, sarcastically, how exactly is introducing EPL football matches on RTM even related to saving the nation?

All this triggers more questions that even Pakatan supporters cannot answer honestly or truthfully, only making them resort to name calling.

Subsequently, the continuing highlighting of this issue of voters bent on spoiling their votes, because they don’t like what either side is marketing, borders on irrationality.

It’s like McDonald’s and Ramly burgers trying to force vegans and vegetarians to shove beef burgers down their throats. It’s like forcing the diabetic to continue drinking Coke and Pepsi, even if they only want plain water.

Last parable: it’s like asking a guy who doesn’t smoke to light up a Marlboro or a Dunhill even if they don’t want to.

So why is Pakatan worried?

Well, first, because this current group wanting to spoil their votes is mostly those who were pro-Pakatan volunteers in their various campaigns since 2008.

And second, the spoil-vote movement is really, really loud on social media, which is Pakatan’s main propaganda playground.

And because social media is now getting more and more expensive to sponsor to reach the masses, and is permeated with select pockets of people bent on spoiling their votes and are experts at social media marketing, it becomes a credible threat.

This has led Pakatan to the need to play defence on the online front, while trying to organise enough groundswell for their campaigns into the rural Malay heartland. It is also praying that the spoil-vote population is just the loud ones and not the silent voters waiting for the general election.

Do spoiled votes ruin elections? Yes, they do. It happened in Ketereh and Kuala Selangor.

Does it teach parties to change? Depends. If they don’t change, they can wait for another election to see if it changes. If not, then obviously something has to, even if it means realising the need for a more credible opposition beyond the Pakatan coalition.

Hafidz Baharom is an FMT reader.