YOURSAY | ‘It’s better to try and die, maybe GLC positions may come your way.’

Friends of BN to debut in GE15, MCA swoops up most Gerakan seats

Man on the Silver Mountain: This is the last chance for MIC and MCA to prove themselves as meaningful and worthy partners for Umno in BN. If they fail, they cannot represent the Indians and the Chinese effectively as planned by the forefathers.

In that case, considering that Umno is still alive, they may seriously look for changes in alignment - a new perspective according to the new political reality. This is probably where Pakatan Harapan can be a possibility to replace the ineffective vacuum created by MIC and MCA.

The new order can be, MIC and MCA gone in BN, to be replaced by the components in Harapan.

Vijay47: Despite being newcomers to politics, ‘Friends of Barisan’ would be glad that their loyalty and potential have been recognised by their being given much more than the expected token seats, if at all, to contest.

This is clear evidence that BN under the stewardship of Ahmad Zahid Hamidi ‘cares’ for everybody within the coalition.

Nevertheless, the Friends would have had even more reason to celebrate if additional seats had been allocated to them. These battlegrounds could include Bukit Bintang, Seputeh, Damansara, Petaling Jaya, and a variety of seats in Penang, Negri Sembilan, and Malacca.

Batu has already been granted to MIC and this should give ‘nightmares’ to the incumbent and PKR candidate P Prabhakaran.

Umno and its allies may be facing serious internal disputes but this is the moment for them to demonstrate how by working together, victory would still be for them to enjoy.

However, the Friends of BN and in fact many of the stalwarts themselves are destined to be massacred with most losing their deposits on the Ides of November.

It is always better to try and die – who knows, government-linked company positions may yet come their way.

David Dass: They are going for broke. The BN is banking on a disillusioned electorate and an opposition in disarray. Umno is making clear that MIC is no longer the sole representative of the Indian community.

What happens if MIC wins no seats? Will the MCA do better this time? Will Chinese voters take the view that it is better to be inside the government than be in opposition? Will they only be concerned about the short term?

Will the opposition come out with a clear message for the voters? Rumours of DAP and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim talking to Umno is disconcerting. So, why should they vote for the opposition?

Apanama is Back: MIC and MCA will meet a similar fate in GE15 as what had happened to Gerakan in Penang, 14 years ago, in 2008.

Even though 43 seats were given to MCA (additional seats previously held by Gerakan) and nine seats for MIC (same as GE14), all these seats will go to the opposition or others.

People had rejected Gerakan outright. Therefore, even if the seat is now occupied by MCA, it will be met with the same fate. Make my words! Umno Baru is actually planning to banish MIC and MCA from the Malaysian political landscape.

My2cen: There will be some exchange candidates, from BN to PN and PAS to BN, the names shall be announced in the next few days. That is why former Arau MP Shahidan Kassim brought down the BN logo.

We will see internal sabotage in these areas, and a good chance for Harapan to wrestle the seats.

Appum: If you study the allocations carefully, as expected, ‘Big Brother’ Umno has taken the cream of the cake, leaving the crumbs and droppings to MCA and MIC with more display spots on window dressing.

MCA and MIC are posted to "kamikaze" spots to make a fool of themselves claiming to represent their respective races. Well, if MCA and MIC are willing to take that bait, so be it.

Mazilamani: We have gone through three changes of governments after the 14th general elections (GE) and we are beginning to look like a neighbouring country that went through a similar fate some years ago.

Not unless we have a strong government that can redeem the country from its present state of woes and maladies, any weakened government than now with last-minute hoisting of parties with their own agenda can never be expected to focus on defining national development and policies, leading its people into another term of disaster.

This time around, voters should exercise their right to vote, and do it responsibly minus the time-worn sentiments and emotions that have always influenced us in the past.

We have to take it into our own hands and decide the party and kind of leaders we want.

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