After six decades in power, BN falls to ‘Malaysian tsunami’

(EDITORIAL) May 9, 2018. This is the day Malaysians experienced the power of the ballot.

Anger towards the current administration had brought them out in large numbers to cast their votes in the historic 14th general election.

Few Malaysians would have thought they would live to see this day – the defeat of the formidable Umno-led BN/Alliance which had held unbroken power for 61 years.

This is the first time the country has witnessed a change of government since independence from the British in 1957.

Malaysia is probably the only country in the world, apart from a handful of communist states, to have not undergone a regime change.

Pakatan Harapan's victory is even more remarkable because of the gerrymandering, the numerous attempts by the Election Commission to frustrate the opposition campaign, and the holding of the election in the middle of the week, which most likely resulted in a lower voter turnout.

The rout of BN was made possible by a Malaysian tsunami – a tide which comprised not just the major ethnic groups in the peninsula – Malays, Chinese and Indians - but also those in Sabah and Sarawak.

At the end of the day, the redelineation, which BN pushed through weeks before the election, backfired.

Voters, frustrated with various issues, made a beeline at polling stations nationwide to reverse the efforts by BN and its functionaries to steal this election.

More importantly, this election witnessed a swing among the Malays in favour of the opposition despite the scare-mongering and race-baiting.

With this, Malaysia has taken the first step of becoming a normal country. -Mkini