Sibu- Money cant buy all
Many people have written to me asking me to write about Sibu. Everyone knows that DAP won the seat by a small margin. Some people claimed, the majority would have been bigger.
Not a small number of people thought this loss in Sibu marks the collapse of BN government. Sibu is the death knell of the BN in Sarawak. People in PKR are salivating at the prospects of winning more parliamentary seats in Sarawak and with those projected victories; they will make their way to Putrajaya. If they make it to Putrajaya then Anwar Ibrahim is saved.
The BN would have won Sibu. Let's not forget, that BN also secured a large number of those who came out to vote last Sunday. It's too simple to dismiss this loss at Sibu and read the situation beyond what is realistic. The BN lost the seat but it isn't enough to signal a widespread contagion.
Those who were in Sibu would have noticed that PBB wasn't putting their full weight there. They viewed this essentially as a SUPP affair. They were not doing their job well. PBB and SUPP have speakers who can answer the criticisms and allegations made by PKR and DAP- but they didn't. This was the main mistake. When Taib Mahmud said, BN lost because the opposition used different campaign strategy, he was wrong there. The opposition parties were more industrious. The BN machinery was lazy and uncoordinated.
The loss is attributable more to just plain laziness and not doing enough. People are quick to associate this loss to a general rejection of Taib Mahmud who is claimed to have overstayed. But ask this question- if Taib Mahmud were to be replaced by someone else, would it change the outcome? I don't think so, because the loss in Sibu was more associated with not doing more skunk work.
BN used the same old strategy- intimidation, coercion, threats and the two technologies- money and cunning.
What is the proportion of the voters that will vote for you when money is given? What is the proportion that is moved by greater ideas? What is the proportion of the population are interested in the elements of good governance- efficiency, effective government, transparency? What is the proportion that needs to have their fears as being treated as second class citizens? What is the proportion of the voters who are interested to secure a better future for their next generation- jobs, education etc.
The mistake by the BN machinery in Sibu and Saawak for that matter is to lump every voter into an undifferentiated mass which is buyable. Hence, BN's approach is one dimensional. Monetize everything.
12 comments:
One word suits what PM did in Rejang Park....DISGUSTING
Monetize the vote. Sounds like part of the NEM
Dato'
Perhaps BN can learn from Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
No amount of money can buy the urban voters as their needs are justice, integrity, truth, fair play and accountability.
Money talks for those who are still 'kais pagi makan pagi, kais petang makan petang.'
As our economy grows, more 'rakyat' are moving up the hierarchy of needs and money will be less enticing to them.
'Ayam dah berkokok di Sibu. Suaranya kuat didengar di seluluh Sarawak. Hari siang akan tiba tak lama lagi."
I learn a new word - monetize. Thanks.
The Chinese love money. They can kill for money.
But they don't like money that comes with a price tag.
Something like haramla to them.
So bro Najib, stop being a beggar with money.
Kalau banyak sangat duit, donate to the poor and orphans. Pahalapun dapat.
Ini habukpun tarak.
I think better stay away from by-elections. Jaga negaralah.
Let Muhyiddin do the donkey work, If BN loses, at least can blame him.
Ini Madame Rosmahpun pun nak bercakap.
Jaga body and jaga muka cukuplah.
Tu M pun tak datang. Is that why BN lost??? hahaha.
P.S. Am putting a light touch to things because I still am shocked with the loss.
Dear Quiet Despair, How can a leader gets pahala from donating public money to the poor? A leader is obligated to help the poor. He will get pahala from doing his obligations.
Unless of course, the money is legitimately his own - only then can get pahala from donating.
Dato' Sak, perhaps you can educate people on the role of the government vis a vis the role of the ruling party.
The role of the government is provide public goods and services, whilst the role of the party in power is to maintain their power as much as and as long as it can.
Cheers
Mamat
Bung Mokhtar has been sentenced to one-month jail by the Syariah court.
Will there be another by-election?
Whatever, this will spell the end of his YB title.
Dato'
Nothing really change for BN without knowing the details what happen in Sibu. BN particularly UMNO leadership still in denial mode and in their dreamland. Instead of fixing internal problems, the UMNO leaders still spewing remarks after remarks like volcanic asses from Iceland. Exposing the opposition weaknesses konon.
These so call leaders are "attention seekers" who just want to justify their rights in the position by harping non essential issues. They must know now that the Malays regardless they are urbanites or from kampung are becoming more aware of the political situation in the country.
Just read Utusan Malaysia (mouth piece of UMNO) yesterday after long absent. It just reminded me why I drop their subscription. It just embarrassing even to carry them around and to be seen by others. This sentiment is shared by vast majority of Malays. Dwindling of Utusan Malaysia readers is the prove. Need to say more.
"Lu tolong wa, wa tolong lu". The PM (BN Government)asked for help. But the rakyat has helped vote the BN in for the last 47 years! The BN Government could not do anything to resolve the sibu flood in almost 5 decades, but manage to build the Twin Towers, Putra Jaya, and just upriver from Sibu, the Bakun Dam. All in some RM40billion! And BN came to ask for help?! For how many more years?
They gave money to the churches. But they want their BM bible with the 'A' word. I know many muslims do not want that BM bible to be allowed, but that is what the sarawak christians want. They've had them for over a 100 years. Something has to give to break this impasse. I guess the christian would vote even for PAS based on this issue (which was taboo by the police during the by election).
The DAP won big in the open (non postal) votes. Don't trivilise that!
Did you see the shameful video in which the PM spoke as though he was using money to buy 'cattle in Sibu '?
He became the most despicable PM this country had every known. He was making fun of the people's intelligence and dignity and breaking the law with impunity.
2/2
And the fact it was displayed by the head of the government of the country who had only recently rubbed shoulders with other heads of state on the global stage is not lost on anyone.
The saddest thing is now quite apparent. Umno has lost all high grounds and have decided to do the only thing left in its armory to try and win back the rakyat - bribe them using their own money. It therefore shows what it is good in. The only skill it seems to have, honed by years of practice, developed into an art and now concluded as the cause of the suffering faced by the rakyat.
But what is sadder than even the saddest is that Umno has to pretend the rakyat don't know all that. And it pretended right in front of them.
How can this be countenanced for one more second by any sane and right-minded rakyat?
If the rakyat allow all this to continue, it will mean that the rakyat encourage Umno to fleece their innocence with their own money, what more encourage it to continue paying only lip-service to its vaunted promise to change. So why should the rakyat give Umno even one chance? If BMoktar can be jailed for polygamy, what's the charge for national political prostitution of the voters?
All the tactics deployed by Umno in its campaigning so far have failed where it should matter for the future of the country.
Winning the hearts and votes of roadside seafood restaurant owners in Negri Sembilan will not save Umno from itself nor the country from going into its twilight.
Winning the gratitude from felda settlers and grassroots kampung folks alone will not settle the fundamental changes that this country's governance must achieve in order to brave the challenges and complexities of this new century. After all, we don't have a single competitive thing to offer that is brain-designed and hand-made that the world wants. After all, for every one ringgit to them, how many ribu ringgit have gone to a few selected ones?
If Umno wants to be a responsible party, it has to be responsible for the future of the country, for the continued well-being of all Malaysians, for progress in changing parochial and divisive mindsets, for confidence in exorcising old racial fears, for resilience towards greater competitiveness and for integrity excellence.
And for all these, there's no 'rakyat help you, you help rakyat'. The problems are not with the rakyat. The problems are exactly at the solar plexus of Umno.
What is the point of winning votes but losing national relevance? Cross the bridges when you come to them? They're all burnt. Sneak in political contributions from chinese gambling houses to buy voters? Please, that's double haram, innit?
And the rakyat know all this for a fact - because Umno hasn't changed one bulu since GE12. Because they can see for themselves all those fancy places that Umno elites keep for themselves paid for through corrupt practices while bodies like the MACC run around catching ikan bili's now in so short supply there will be less in your next bungkus of nasi lemak biasa.
Now for the closing. The rakyat are also asking how come Umno is so fixated on winning. And their own conclusion comes from looking at Umno in those states where Umno holds the opposition seats.
The conclusion is Umno has been completely unproductive as opposition members. Which means the Pakatan movement has been relevant to the rakyat. Thus the desperation of Umno.
I'll see you all at Bum2010 Lakeview Club Subang Jaya Sat May 22nd morning 10-ish. (Hope 'Bang Ikan Tongkol will be there too.)
A lot of people were aghasted by the video: http://is.gd/cfX7h
It couldn't have been one of his finer moments. More like someone who already knew the result and was just going through the motion to try something. Or a national leader who was uncomfortable talking really heart to heart with the mostly Chinese Malaysians. So, how to lead or be accepted?
The phrase 'i help you, you help me' wasn't the only one that was sheer bad.
Worse was the other statement; pay attention and you might hear it with disbelief : 'i don't have to be here'.
Now, if people were reactive, they could say, 'we didn't invite you'. And they have a right to say that because by saying he didn't have to be there, it was like he was doing them a favour above them. It was actually hundred percent proof insult.
And by saying he had been in the market three times, it was like he didn't have confidence and so wanted to impress them he was hardworking and coming down to them.
But people can ask 'did you come when we were facing floods?' or 'are you here only because there is a buy-erection?'
He also hinted that he came after overriding concerns by his security people. The folks may ask back, 'if that be the case, won't you be doing something to make this place safer for us as well?'
There was one other cruncher. He floated the sum of rm3 million and asked the floor if it was enough. Someone replied rm5 million. Then he swaggered that as PM he will ready the cheque of rm5 million the following day if BN's candidate wins because BN keeps its promises.
There are issues here. He is also the MOF. Now, for having said that, how will he reply if people then ask him whether that's the way ministers of finance craft their budgets over in Putrajaya. Someone picks a number and he says it will be so because he wants something else? If that be the case for just Sibu, what manner of budgeting does his ministry do for the whole nation? And if he can be so efficient, why not his entire government?
The hammer blow was after losing Sibu. He was noted to be reconsidering the offer to mitigate the floods that were causing hardship to the people. That was absolutely devastating in knocking off all credibility of Umno of being sincere about people first, performance now, and therefore everything else after it, including 1Malaysia.
In essence, the basic question remains: what thinking process and motivational mannerism affect the president of Umno, let alone the PM of the country, let alone the head of BN?
The way he talked reeked of arrogance. The way he turned his head one side to the other when he talked reeked of being uncomfortable mixed with showmanship, and gave the impression he wanted to hide something while affecting supreme confidence which therefore pointed to insincerity.
And the way he sought response from the floor was as though the rakyat were children in a classroom who should be impressed that he has come down to tantalize them with what they already knew was their own money. Even if all this was not so, the impression was unshakable.
Dato .. you are wrong.
Just one word from Ibrahim Ali is enough to cause BN to lose a million potential voters and BN in fact openly associating with it.
Chinese are no fools.
How would have felt if you hear stupid low down insults almost daily if you are a Chinese?
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