“We get the world we deserve.”
– Ray Velcro (True Detective Season 2)
A win is a win even more so in politics, where the winners can use the opportunity gained to further shape the political landscape into what they want it to be.
Despite what all the naysayers said, the people of Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB), especially the non-Malay vote, went to the Anwar Ibrahim regime, just another indication that non-Malays are Anwar’s vote bank.
Working with Umno means holding your tongue. Much like MCA was accused of doing, while DAP supporters want action from their representatives, even if it means barking very loudly.
And we know how DAP can make compromises when it feels it needs to.
For decades, the running dog narrative was used against the MCA until the realisation of working with Malay power structures hit home when DAP realised that Malay expectations when it came to power-sharing trumped the Bangsa Malaysia kool-aid it was peddling to the base.
Anwar gets to claim bragging rights for this win even though he is portrayed as an unpopular leader who ditched his “Reformasi” agenda. Now he knows that the non-Malay vote, through DAP, will not abandon him no matter what he does.
His “don’t spook the Malays” mantra will now become the foundational first principle of the Madani regime.
The PAS-led Perikatan Nasional did itself no favours in this by-election but the reality is they have nothing really to lose.
They understand they are already making inroads, and what they have to contend with is how to counter the government’s role in solidifying votes through entitlement programmes through the civil service and the state security apparatus.
Indeed, following the prime minister’s agenda of increasing the wages of civil servants, even the DAP-led Penang is getting in on the act.
And besides, with Anwar always attempting to curry favour with those in places like Terengganu, they understand the base will take the help but will not abandon the cause. It also points to how Anwar and his enablers view the Malaysian experience.
While in Terengganu, Anwar said, “Don’t tell me (that) with the wealth of all the agencies, the ministry is unable to rescue more than 1,000 families from hardcore poverty?”
Well yes, the government could do a lot for the people, but because all policy is predicated on race and religion, people depending on their race and religion are left to fend for themselves. And the irony is that even “ketuanan-ism” cannot save you from the vagaries of life.
But Anwar cannot be blamed for playing the race card because even in this by-election, DAP played the race card.
The DAP candidate said, “I feel nervous because today we will decide the future development of SJKC Khing Ming”, which is exactly the kind of thing the MCA said back in the day.
And let us not forget that the Indian estate issue was settled or at least a promise made, so this callback to BN-style politics is complete.
Vindication of govt actions
PKR information chief Fahmi Fadzil should be in a celebratory mood.
This by-election, if it turned out differently, could have been a wake-up call, for how he and his cohorts at PKR are handling issues from the way the press is being constrained to how Umno’s incitement led to businesses being subject to attempted terrorist attacks.
Now folks like Fahmi understand that it really doesn’t matter if they weaponise government agencies or attempt to shoot the messenger when it comes to unpopular news about the Madani regime - all this will be supported by the vast majority of non-Malays.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the win demonstrated the ”clear acceptance and understanding of the government’s focus to ensure the welfare of the security forces”.
So, folks, you can kiss something like the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) goodbye because nobody in the state security apparatus wants something like that.
And hey, the minister is right because if people really cared about independent oversight of our state security apparatus, they would vote for people who want the same thing or hold the party they vote for accountable.
Saifuddin also said PN’s campaign was all about the three Rs which is most probably right but what he misses or more like really does not care about, is that this federal government has been platforming the three Rs since it came into power.
Just look at how this government handled issues like KK Mart, Hamas, and of course, the alleged casino reporting for Forest City.
What the DAP brings to any kind of coalition is the majority backing of a voting demographic and, hence, they can claim to be the “voice” of the community on secular and egalitarian issues.
However, what this by-election win shows Anwar, and this is mainly with the non-Malay vote, is that DAP does not need to be a secular and egalitarian guardrail for his regime.
More importantly what this by-election demonstrates is that even though he has pushed the religious boundaries for a supposedly moderate Islamic regime, the base which supports the DAP will fall into line because they view the alternative as worse.
If ordinary people stand their ground, the religious fascist gig is up.
It is not about concentrating on the economy. It is about acknowledging that the efforts to reinvigorate the economy are being deliberately hampered using religion and race and this will ultimately lead to an economic downturn.
If this was to be a bellwether on how non-Muslims feel about the Madani regime, the answer should be pretty clear. - Mkini
S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum - “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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