Malaysiakini
was inundated with thousands of messages following the stunning result of the recent election. Following are a selection of our readers’ responses to the polls outcome and their hopes for the future.
On BN denied 2/3rd majority, lost five states, M'kini blocked
Rough O' Cannibal: To all candidates who won in 2008, congrats! Winning was quite easy. Now the hard part; Remember to keep to your pledges! Have fun!
Fongky: BN component parties from East Malaysia contributed the numbers which was the deciding factor for BN’s simple majority. This is good for them because they can use it as bargaining chips for more ministerial posts in the cabinet. However, they can also use this as bigger bargaining chip to join the opposition coalition.
The PKR-DAP-PAS coalition holds 82 seats and needs only another 30 more seats to take over as the new federal government. If sufficient parties, especially from East Malaysia were persuaded to turn against BN, the remaining BN parties may not be able to hold on to the simple majority
Way: It was great to see the opposition winning so many states. This election could be the turning point of Malaysian politics, from a racially divisive politics into a more inclusive one. I used the word could because I believe there will be tough times ahead for them. These are the reasons:
Abdullah Badawi will try his utmost best to split the opposition to keep his Umno presidency. By doing so, he could claim credit for keeping one or two states. It happened before and it could happen again. Currently we have a bunch of idealistic and dedicated people in the opposition but when faced with BN's riches and power (ie. ministerial posts etc), some may revert to BN. Currently the ideal party, it seems, for Abdullah to approach is Keadilan, mainly due to the Anwar factor and the fact that a lot of PKR supporters used to be Umno people. I hope the opposition leaders come out with a clear alliance to allay these fears.
Federal funding may dry up at opposition-controlled states, thus ensuring a future BN win for those states. Remember what happened to Kelantan and Terengganu? This is the thing that scares Penang and Perak folks (especially business people). A lot of lobbying is needed to prevent this occurrence.
The opposition has a lot to deliver this time but they lack the man/woman power. In some states, some of the DUNs are inexperienced whereas there are many that have two seats, one state and one parliament for example: Lim Guan Eng and Khalid Ibrahim. They also have no experience in ruling a state. They have to learn very fast on the job and undertake dual roles. Anyways, these are just my fears for the opposition. I hope they can overcome these issues.
The Reluctant Writer: The elections are over. Malaysians have decided. Many voted, not caring who they voted for, as long as it wasn't BN. Those who never voted for any other party before and those who used to be BN voters too, voted for whatever party available on the ballot paper, aside from BN. Malays voted for DAP, Chinese and Indians voted for PAS. No colour or race was seen or considered, only hopes of many Malaysians.
Well, DAP, PKR and PAS have all paraded their party flags. Now, it's time for all Malaysians to celebrate our solidarity. We should all now raise this one flag. For all Malaysians. The people voted not because of any single party. It has all been about us standing as Malaysians. It is a time for Merdeka. Malaysians are no longer afraid! We are free!
AM Sufi: Friends, Malaysians, Countrymen-and-women! Congratulations! Syabas - you did it! Thank you from my heart to all you good people who went out in droves last Saturday and administered that potent elective poll-vaccination for a good Malaysia.
Today Malaysia starts on her long-haul uphill-climb on a repair and recovery process toward a more healthy democratic, political and economic structure and future. And if you have the first two foundational fundamentals ideally grounded, economic health and strength will almost certainly follow naturally.
As I am uplifted to see such united national goodness I have designed myself today a new lapel badge as a symbolic gesture – it’s a simple natural straw broom adjoined to a fragrant rose and a simple hibiscus.
It represents to me a hope for true harmonic freedom – somewhere where it is both compassionately clean and fragrantly colourful. Long Live Freedom and Peace! Long Live Good People Power! Long Live Tenaga/Kuasa Rakyat! Long Live Makkal Sakthi! Long Live Co-operative Collaboration and Good Consensual Governance! So three cheers for a healthy democratic Malaysia! May she continue to grow toward her full potential in true Merdeka and muhibbah .
Viji Rajasundram: This is not so much a win for the opposition as it is a loss for the BN. It is apparent that the overwhelming sentiment was more against the corruption, the excesses and the arrogance of the BN party. It was not so much a vote for the opposition. (Case in point - Lim Gwo Burne winning his seat )
However it came about, we the people should be the winners. There will be less of the ‘You will toe the line no matter what you feel is right or wrong’ statements made to our elected representatives by the so called Whips. (Cases in point : Representatives warned against speaking up about issues like Bukit Gasing, Hindraf etc.) Great news. And our elected representatives will be free to speak their minds. And that can only be good for us the rakyat who put them there.
What's good, is now we will have two groups (BN & Opp) leaping over each other to impress the citizenship with their goodness. The way it was meant to be. The way it should always be. Government of the people, by the people, for the people. Hidup Malaysia!
Ahmad Kamal: There has been analyses that Anwar is not a factor in this elections..maybe, maybe not. Certainly it is not solely Anwar that has been a contributing factor. I think it is a credit to all Malaysians, whether or not indeed that the swing has been largely due to protest votes, who have made this incredible change in almost five decades.
Whatever may be the reasons, it is clear, that there is an opportunity for all of us to bring about the necessaary changes, especially institutional changes to the system of governance. The work begins from March 8. Lets not forget that.
Richard Kam: I fully agree with our former PM Tun Dr Mahathir that Khairy J. the Oxford loudmouth is largely to be blame for BN loss in so many seats. In fact, if the oppositon parties do have celebration dinners, they should invite Khairy as the Guest of Honour because he is indirectly responsible for hundreds of thousand voters crossing over to the opposition, myself included. His rhetoric and threats really upset many people.
ChrixG: Malaysians have voted for a better future. Malaysians have voted wisely. That is why Malaysians have voted for a change to the Opposition. What a breath of fresh air after 50 years of independence. Hopefully, this is the end of business as usual. This is a victory for democracy in Malaysia, as we now have a choice.
Thank goodness Malaysians are more informed today and not as gullible as their forefathers. Let’s hope the Opposition can work together for the next 4 years, reduce corruption and remove the Little Napoleons of the town councils and not institute new ones instead. It would be a tragic mistake if BN thinks that due to the reduced Chinese and Indian representation in the government now, it is okay to pay less attention to their needs.
Chinese and Indian representations are now in Oppositions' hands, and it will be wise to listen to them instead of making nonsensical statement like ‘we object because it comes from the Opposition, and all party members must toe the line’. If BN does not learn from this event and rebound by 2012, for the first time in Malaysian history we may see a non-BN PM. Here’s looking forward to a better Malaysia tomorrow.
Eddie: This was indeed a historical 12th General Election, which happened was once in 50 years, like the recent snow-storm in China where all people came together to fight their hardship.
The astounding results had proved voters' confidence in Anwar’s leadership and justice had finally prevailed in his favour. Let's us look forward to a new era of freedom, peace and harmony.
Jasmine: I am happy to see the changes at the recent election. Let’s strive to the betterment. We can do it.
Anwar for PM Supporter: All Anwar needs to do now is persuade at least 25 elected BN MPs to cross over, and he can form a new government. The numbers are not that great. Just in Sabah and Sarawak alone there are 25 and 31 seats respectively. If just half of them can change their allegations, then BN can be overthrown.
Once the ball starts rolling, I’m sure here will be some BN MPs who will switch as well. As it is right now, BN has no creditable candidate to take over as PM if Abdullah steps down.
Shanmugam: The outcome of the 12th general election sends a clear message that most Malaysians of all races are rejecting race-based parties. More and more Malaysians in the future will only support multi-racial parties. Gerakan was formed as a multi-racial party by its founding fathers to win Penang from the Alliance in 1969. But the current leaders hijacked the base of the party to become Chinese-based to protect the Chinese
That was the beginning of the end of Gerakan. I call on all Umno, MCA, MIC, PPP and Gerakan (and all other splinter parties) members to do some soul searching, abandon these race-based parties and join the multiracial parties like PKR DAP or PAS( though it may not be multi-religious). That is the way to go forward with Stability, Harmony and Security in Malaysia.
Fairness, Transparency, Globalisation: Excellent! The people have voted decisively for a new era where the government must be truly inclusive and recognise that all Malaysians, regardless of race, culture or religion are a nation of one.
Beside taking care of internal issues, give better environment and freedom to both local and foreign investors. Inflation is not a necessary set-back to the economy especially at this moment when our inflation is still low both regionally and globally. Let’s gradually head towards building a more realistic and sustainable economy.
We have full confident in the balanced political environment now. Let’s strive towards better days ahead!
Stephen Yap: I am very happy and jubilant on the outcome of the election. I feel that Malaysians as a whole have matured and did the right thing i.e. to finally able to express their suppressed feelings. Whilst we celebrate this victory in coffee shops and our homes, there lies a vigorous task of the BR coalition to prove themselves to the voters. I am confident that with teams from such diverse backgrounds, they will reign victorious.
Let us not forget those who had fought the battle before us and let us give those who are here today our full support. Majukan Malaysia!
Paul: While ‘Congratutions’ are in order, I would seriously urge Anwar to remain humble and conciliatory in his every move from now on. It was 'arrogance' that brought down some big names. Let now 'forgiveness and humility' lead the way. We thank God that we see some degree of justice, some peace. Now we must pray and act with love.
Concerned Ex-Malaysian: Many describe the results of Malaysia's 12th General Elections as a tsunami. I really beg to differ as the word carries the connotation of destruction. It is basically a long-overdue wake-up call for BN.
After Ijok, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi must have thought he was invincible. Fortunately, we had Hindraf. They dared to stand up! And we had Malaysiakini and Raja Petra Kamarudin to spread the message. The rest are just lucky passengers, especially DAP and PAS, who are the greatest beneficiaries of this tsunami . Some credit must be given to Anwar Ibrahim, though. He managed to bring everybody to their senses.
I live in Singapore and many of my colleagues here are Malaysians. The emotion was very electrifying. Last Friday everyone was heading home to vote. Everybody was saying: Let's vote opposition! No wonder! I sincerely hope the beneficiaries are not intoxicated by their win, lest they will get wiped out again in the next General Elections.
JTB: Now that the Barisan Rakyat has made in roads, I feel that the pressure is on them to keep their promises to those who voted them in. We know that their task won’t be an easy one with all the nonsensical legacy Barisan Nasional has left behind. It is now time for the new boys to clean out all the rubbish and put the house back in order for the rakyat .
We now know that the Malaysian wants to be looked at as Malaysians not Malay, Chinese, Indian or others. What is terribly urgent is to look at the racial polarisation in schools and all aspect of the government at the state level and make sure that you introduce the election for local councillors, instead of making it into a sinecure position to reward your cronies.
Please take note that the election results are a tight slap and a wake up call for the Barisan Nasional Government; they will have to reinvent themselves and come back stronger. We the rakyat have given you - the Barisan Rakyat - the mandate to prove yourselves, now put your money where your mouth is. We heard your clarion call for change and responded to it. Now show us that you represent the rakyat of Malaysia, that you will be fair and just to everyone irrespective of race, religion or creed.
LJ: March 8 was a very gratifying day! I wonder how Hishamuddin Onn felt on Saturday, as compared to the occasions when he waved the keris on stage? The purpose for his doing so was to have a two-fold effect: (a) to declare to the Malays that only Umno could take care of their interests; and (b) to frighten the non-Malays into not asking for too much. In the event, the Malays did not accept his declaration and the non-Malays were not frightened. That is why March 8 was such a gratifying day.
Clearly in this General Election, as any other, there will be winners and losers, but in my view, for two reasons, the greatest loser is Dr Mahathir Mohamed as (1) his nemesis - and the person who it was thought was dispatched into oblivion - Anwar Ibrahim, has made a remarkable come back and may very likely be a future prime minister; and
(2) the multiracial opposition will support the government in its few progressive policies which eschew racial discrimination (which Mahathir has shown such disdain for) primarily projects such as the Iskandar Development Region (IDR).
May I finish by saying to Abdullah (no doubt he will now become a regular reader of Malaysiakini , if he has not already been one) that, among may factors which contributed to the ‘defeat’ of BN, one main reason was that many voters, of all races, saw the reflection of BN's arrogance in the face of his arrogant son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin.
Audrey Wong: Well done! Be fair to all parties and all races. Keep clear from all sorts of internal resistance. Keep the ruling parties in check at all times in order to keep them more transparent and efficient. Looking forward to a better Malaysia with all best intentions and wishes
MS: In the many analyses of election results, I don’t see any pointing out that the real victors were PKR and DAP; both multi racial parties. The results were, in my mind, a clear repudiation of racist politics of BN by right-thinking Malaysians.
It would be so great if the two parties could merge in due course to banish forever racist Malaysia. At least we can consider this. On the other hand, I am sure Kayveas suggestion for all BN parties to merge will be met with fierce opposition and will never happen despite its commendable rationale.
A great dawn is come; may great days follow. I , for one, am sure that that will not happen if Najib comes in as the ‘ordained’ successor to Mahathir to whom so many of the country’s ills can be traced.
KK Chan: My greatest concern is that you BR exercise your newly acquired power (given by the people ) with the greatest discretion to ensure future victoies.
NPK: Time for all politicians (regardless of whether you won and lost in the recent election) to realise that the people decide. Members of Parliament and state must be easily accessible to the people. After all, they are the voice of the people and they represent the people.
Most BN candidates lost primarily because they were not accessible during normal times. They will only crawl out to campaign and make all sorts of promises shortly before the election.
I believe that Members of Parliament and/or state assembypersons who are easily accessible and are ‘always around’ will win the next election. This is something that BN (and also the Opposition Parties) should know. ‘Support the people and they will support you’.
Ng: To all opposition parties, please do not disappoint and break our trust; prove to us you’re responsible and have the abilities to improve our country. Our New Malaysia, New Life, New Hope depends on you.
Lee HF: Now that the people have spoken and the die has been cast with their votes, we, the people, will need to actively monitor the actions of the powers we voted in. It is easy to make promises and to deliver emotional speeches during election time, but it takes much more effort to deliver the results promised.
Why the BN has failed is precisely the above; they became complacent. They thought the people will keep on supporting them though they ‘do not’ perform. Now they know better. The Opposition should bear this in mind. We voted them in to give them a try. If they perform, they can expect M’sians to reward them; otherwise they can also expect the opposite.
It would be great if the Opposition can work together and form a United Front. Anyway, this a new found democracy and should be good for the country to go forward. May God bless Malaysia!
Andrew: Congratulations to all of you for a job well done! The reason we are writing this is for fear that the Opposition parties may someday become just like what BN is – an arrogant, inconsiderate and selfish party. All the power and money got to their heads and turned them into selfish, heartless people – only out to think of themselves and no one else. As the saying goes – absolute power corrupts! – please do not let this happen to you!
All we are asking for is an honest, transparent and caring government – one that takes time to listen to the voice of the people. Do not regard the voters as fools as this is what the BN did! Remember we are a multi-racial country and what we want most is for equality for all races.
Let the bumiputera enjoy whatever rights that have been accorded to them – we are not interested in this. What the other races simply want is to be given our fair share of the cake – that’s all. Once again, congratulations and please, please do not let it get to your heads!
Abd Halim Ibrahim: I think if one votes in the opposition and then challenges the opposition to prove their manifestos, this is not a good attitude. The opposition parties fight for the people, so the people should appreciate them for this. Support them and hope for the best of all Malaysians. And don’t forget to pray.
Audrey Wong: Investors may pay a very high price for the change in the political position. Don't disappoint us. Hope that nothing is to be done at the expense of hurting our economy. Please convey this clear message to the opposition MPs
YSM: Gerakan and PPP should consider leaving the BN government at this point. If they were to understand the direction of Malaysian politics, they will know that the rakyat has moved away from racial politics. We are not interested in playing the racial card and will punish any party that continues to play communal politics. As such, the Gerakan and PPP should leave the BN and consider joining the opposition. Now they have no seats to contribute, any talk of joining will have to be carefully considered.
Amir: Can we for a start stop calling PKR/DAP/PAS opposition? They may be opposition at Federal level but are now the government in many states.And it really irked me when they are called Opposition after the Parliament was dissolved. After dissolution we only have caretaker government and no caretaker opposition.
I propose an acronym Pakedapas, until they formalise Barisan Rakyat! Long live the rakyat !
