Bagan Pinang: cynical realism sets in

The outcome of the Bagan Pinang by election may have actually been decided a few days earlier. The decision announced on the 11^th October was just a formality. As far back as 5 days ago, the voters of Bagan Pinang had already made up their minds. Undisturbed in their homes, far from the maddening crowd, they were able to think through their choices. The intensive campaigns that were taking place in PD and Bagan Pinang were entertaining distractions up to a point. Yes, they went out occasionally to listen to blistering speeches and perhaps shared a few drinks with uncharacteristically friendly out- of-towners. The people milling around, busy-bodying around in PD were mostly outsiders. Locals were amused at first but later became disappointed with the antics of outsiders. They are unaccustomed to the charged atmosphere. The factor of outside help would probably register a low regression value if calculated.

Murugiah can say that he camped for 10 days in Indian hamlets in PD and claimed that he had worked very hard to regain the Indian votes. He is from PPP for which support from the Indian community is insignificant. He is doing all he can to stay on as deputy minister whereas his own party had disowned him. He is thinking of his interests which may be at odds with that of the BN's or UMNO's. Was his role better than the 1000 MIC members Samy Velu sent into the PD estates?

As to interests and vision making, thinking about these- long term objectives, strategies, vision making are regarded as the tasks of leaders. The decision making mind-frame of ordinary rakyats is more practical and down to earth. They think in short term mind spans. They think about bread and butter issues. Housing, amenities, schools, getting children's fees paid, places for study. They think of jobs and all those things that are of closer and of immediate concerns. We may come with fanciful and esoteric notions of two party systems, tenets of democracy and all that, in the end, these things which are admittedly important, are placed at the bottom of the totem pole of priorities. Unless these issues are sufficiently made part of their daily lives, they will remain detached issues.

Getting food on the table, having a house over their heads, improvements in their society, immediate gratification- these are placed higher in terms of priorities. The people in Sua Betong, Atherton or Bradwall estates find greater resonance with what the Makkal Sakthi movement is doing. Seeking an immediate relief to their wretched lives. Like Frantz Fanon wrote of the wretched, their participation in the universal and greater democratic movements in the world, takes place in the form of limped shouts of 'cracy..cracy'. What they needed most and matter most immediately are 'kasi, kasi. That's what Isa Samad had been doing the last 15-20 years when he was MB.

As much as we like to disavow racist politics, it's there and will always be around. The Malays in Bagan PIang, in kampongs like Sirusa, Telok Kemang, think of the security of Malay interests. It's a simple decision making process. If the entire population of this country is Malay, Isa Samad would probably be rejected if his opponent is also Malay. In that situation, Malay voters will evaluate the qualities of the candidates- his cleanliness, integrity, educational levels, etc. But here Isa Samad is facing a Malay opponent whom they see will be a stooge to an overbearing DAP and a very pliable PKR, they choose Isa Samad because by doing so, their interests are seen more secure and won't be compromised. With whom are the interests of Malays more secured? UMNO cant and wont compromise those.

They just want to know whether Malay interests (even if they are not clearly spelt out) will continue to be protected. By choosing Isa, the people of Bagan Pinang are not showing they are insensitive to the higher values, only that, in their minds, they are assigned lower weights. It would be premature to categorize this kind of thinking as racist- because the Malays generally recognize the constitutional rights of non Malay Malaysians. They just want an assurance, that their own interests are not eroded or sacrificed for the sake of proving to the world at large, that Malays are very tolerant. They just want the government to know and understand, that we don't have to apologize being Malay or that we have to redeem our guilt by pandering to the wishes of extreme do-gooders as a form of collective atonement.

In the end, Isa won the seat. It is a reflection of what he has done right for the people of PD and Bagan Pinang. He gave them what they needed immediately- roads, schools, development, welfare, homes. These are things that satisfy them immediately. They don't get their hunger satisfied by a diet of philosophical teachings.

His detractors in the party and outside the party concentrated on his most contentious shortcoming. That he was guilty of money politics when he contested a top post in UMNO. That guilty verdict will continue to be debated endlessly within UMNO. It will not likely affect the people at large. They won't be not because they object to notions of political decency, integrity, honesty and all that, but because they view the incident as being largely an UMNO political infighting event. In other words, what happened to Isa failed to be identified as a general problem of universal import in society.

UMNO people and members saw the punishment on Isa as being a whitewash to conceal the greater and more extensive corruption. What they have done by accepting Isa, is simply to reject the notion that the cleansing of UMNO should begin with Isa Samad in the first place. The message to the government is, if you want to uphold good governance, get rid of corruption- start with the bigger cases. Tackle corporate corruption for example rather than making Isa Samad as an example to showcase your intention to atone for your greater excesses.

Why the opposition lost?

I don't buy as reason for their loss, their disorganization and disarray. The differences are over minor things not differences over the fundamental idea of kicking out Barisan. The opposition that contested in Bagan Pinang has always been the same disparate band that contested and won the previous 7 outings. But it's ok, if you feel happier consoling yourself that you lost because you are in disarray. If that is a permanent attribute, then the 13^th general election will be your burial ground.

Let us be frank here. The opposition lost because cynical realism has set in. People are cynical about the intentions of the opposition. People are not confident that the PR will be any different from BN if they ever become a national government. The PR people are likely to commit the same evils committed by the people they despised. It's the victim becoming the aggressor syndrome. Because what the opposition has done thus far is to articulate their intentions which are not followed up by conduct.

The PR government in Selangor for example has shown that it's also incapable and unwilling to enforce clean house rules upon itself. A closer look at Ronie Liew's expense claims will expose the cheating that's going on. Khalid Ibrahim knows this and has probably rationalized the deceit as being insignificant compared to the sins committed by BN lawmakers.

Look at the hearings before SELCAT. This committee for transparency and good governance has succeeded in creating a perception that it's only a committee set up for inquisitorial and witch-hunting purposes. More specifically, it was set up to look into the abuses of the previous BN government. In doing so, they will alienate the Malays who form the majority of civil servants in the state. If they do not check their exuberance, SELCAT will be accused of being a Chinese dominated committee going after Malay officers- just as the unfortunate deaths of an Indian and a Chinese are the handiwork of Malay officers and police. You are just doing the same thing as your accusers. You may want to argue about this till you are blue in the face, but that's what SELCAT has degenerated into. Khalid Ibrahim has shown that he is a bungling and stuttering fool allowing himself to be led into the very kind of racist politics which the opposition has piously denounced.