by Joe Fernandez
COMMENT Even
in those countries where the Government has popular support, they cannot just
simply wag their tails. The people and the media will not stand for it.
In Malaysia, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) obtained only 47 per cent of the votes cast. If all eligible voters are tallied, this 47 per cent shrinks even further to about 25 per cent. BN won its first 112 seats with just 20 per cent of the votes cast. If all eligible voters are tallied, the 20 per cent shrinks to less than 10 per cent of the eligible voters for the first 112 seats.
That's weaker than weak.
The BN getting 133 seats in Parliament means nothing.
If 23 BN MPs were to flee and form a separate block, and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t to save their political future, the ruling coalition will fall from power. It’s a fact that aspiring candidates among Malays don’t see any point in placing their hopes in Umno where some old fogies and veterans rule the roost.
In Malaysia, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) obtained only 47 per cent of the votes cast. If all eligible voters are tallied, this 47 per cent shrinks even further to about 25 per cent. BN won its first 112 seats with just 20 per cent of the votes cast. If all eligible voters are tallied, the 20 per cent shrinks to less than 10 per cent of the eligible voters for the first 112 seats.
That's weaker than weak.
The BN getting 133 seats in Parliament means nothing.
If 23 BN MPs were to flee and form a separate block, and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t to save their political future, the ruling coalition will fall from power. It’s a fact that aspiring candidates among Malays don’t see any point in placing their hopes in Umno where some old fogies and veterans rule the roost.
Politics --
restructuring of political power, and restructuring the allocation of resources
-- is the art of the possible, not indulging in wishful thinking and living on
hope.
It's all about making history, not watching history happen.
It's all about making history, not watching history happen.
The Malaysian Government,
being in a weak position, is in no position to wag its tail. However, old
habits die hard.
Sometimes, things happen for no rhyme or reason.
This is one of those moments in time.
Events have taken on a life of their own and are in control. There's no other way to explain the Blackout 505 crowds that turn out. A body in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by external forces.
The 47 per cent that voted for BN, the rural masses, prefer to stand by and watch history being made. Again, the Law of Inertia is at work.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak cannot be faulted for the continuing political instability in Malaysia. He's a victim of circumstances. Besides, he’s fighting for his political life.
The longer that a ruling party/coalition stays in power and enforces a kind of artificial stability, the longer the period of instability that follows when such a party falls from power.
Consider the fate of the USSR after 70 years of communist party rule, Yugoslavia after 50 years of Tito, Indonesia after 33 years of Suharto, and the Philippines after 20 years of Marcos.
The BN has been in power 56 years.
Mahathir Mohamad alone was in office 22 years, too long for any one person to be in power.
His departure had seen Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, his successor, being severely tested in the ensuing instability and hounded out of office after seven years. Mahathir himself played a key role in fomenting this instability.
Badawi completed two years of Mahathir's term, won his own mandate for four years and had to resign after a year into his second term.
Najib faces the same fate. He completed four years of Badawi's second term and has just begun his second term. It will be extremely tough for him to last as long as even Badawi did in office.
Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah may be about reviving the old Umno and burying Mahathir's Umno Baru. This will be his last chance.
Sometimes, things happen for no rhyme or reason.
This is one of those moments in time.
Events have taken on a life of their own and are in control. There's no other way to explain the Blackout 505 crowds that turn out. A body in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by external forces.
The 47 per cent that voted for BN, the rural masses, prefer to stand by and watch history being made. Again, the Law of Inertia is at work.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak cannot be faulted for the continuing political instability in Malaysia. He's a victim of circumstances. Besides, he’s fighting for his political life.
The longer that a ruling party/coalition stays in power and enforces a kind of artificial stability, the longer the period of instability that follows when such a party falls from power.
Consider the fate of the USSR after 70 years of communist party rule, Yugoslavia after 50 years of Tito, Indonesia after 33 years of Suharto, and the Philippines after 20 years of Marcos.
The BN has been in power 56 years.
Mahathir Mohamad alone was in office 22 years, too long for any one person to be in power.
His departure had seen Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, his successor, being severely tested in the ensuing instability and hounded out of office after seven years. Mahathir himself played a key role in fomenting this instability.
Badawi completed two years of Mahathir's term, won his own mandate for four years and had to resign after a year into his second term.
Najib faces the same fate. He completed four years of Badawi's second term and has just begun his second term. It will be extremely tough for him to last as long as even Badawi did in office.
Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah may be about reviving the old Umno and burying Mahathir's Umno Baru. This will be his last chance.
He was denied the
opportunity to be Prime Minister in 1987 when Judge Harun Hashim, a Malayalee Muslim
like Mahathir, declared Umno unlawful instead of discounting the illegal votes
and handing him the party presidency.
When I wrote not so long ago about Razaleigh being the Prime Minister, everybody laughed at me.
Now the issue has surfaced as a serious possibility.
When I wrote not so long ago about Razaleigh being the Prime Minister, everybody laughed at me.
Now the issue has surfaced as a serious possibility.
If Parti Rakyat Sarawak (6),
Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (4) and Sabah (10) seats get together with
Razaleigh (10) seats, this 3rd Force with 30 seats can form the
Federal Government with Pakatan Rakyat (89) ... Dap 38, PKR 30, Pas 21.
The Najib faction should
throw its support behind Razaleigh so that it can live to fight another day. In
1987, it was Najib who betrayed Razaleigh in his bid for the Umno presidency
after he was waylaid by Mahathir operatives. It’s time to make amends.
Ku Li eyes PM post, meeting more
MPs, say sources