Love is more powerful than hate

http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/39824-love-is-more-powerful-than-hate

If the opposition wins 35% of the votes, Barisan Nasional will win 90% of the seats. If the opposition wins 45% of the votes, Barisan Nasional will still rule with a two-thirds majority. If the opposition wins 50% of the votes, Barisan Nasional will still rule with a simple but large majority. If the opposition wins 55% of the votes, Barisan Nasional will still rule with a very slim majority. If the opposition wins 60% of the votes, then Barisan Nasional would probably lose the government. If the opposition wins 65% of the votes, then Barisan Nasional will for sure lose the government.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

BN needs to study why it lost Chinese backing, says Khairy

(The Star) -- Barisan Nasional must continue to look after the interests of the Chinese community despite losing their support in the Sarawak election, said Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said Barisan needed to study why it lost the support of the Chinese community and take remedial action.

“I don’t agree with the argument that Barisan need not take care of the Chinese because they are not supporting the coalition.”

“We must pay attention to the needs of all races and demonstrate our intentions through action. We have to be fair to everyone,” he said after attending the Selangor MCA Youth forum here yesterday.

Khairy said Barisan had to admit that the Sarawak election results were poor compared to the last state election despite retaining a two-thirds majority.

This is because the Opposition had managed to capture more than double the seats compared with the seven seats it won in 2006, he said.

“The state election is a wake-up call. It will have an effect on the general election and we have to do more,” he said.

Khairy also said PKR could no longer call the shots in Sarawak after it was overtaken by the DAP as seen by the number of seats won by the two parties.

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The aftermath of the Sarawak state elections are questions/discussions about why Pakatan Rakyat could not deny Barisan Nasional its two-thirds majority in the Sarawak state assembly, why the Chinese swung to the opposition but not the others, why Pakatan won 45% of the popular vote but only 21% of the seats, how come the people do not hate Barisan Nasional and/or Taib Mahmud enough to kick them out, how come the crowds at the opposition rallies were enormous but it still could not translate to votes, and so on.

These are actually very old issues/topics/questions and I have spoken/written about them many, many times, even on the eve of the Sarawak state election in my Radio Australia interview, which you can hear at this link: (http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/39762-my-12-minute-interview-with-radio-australia).

In 2000, I wrote an article that was published in Harakah, the party newspaper of PAS: “The wakeup call that did not wake us up”. (http://www.freeanwar.net/April2004/Harakah_030404.htm)

In February 2003, I wrote an article that was published in the Free Anwar Campaign website: “The opposition needs to get its act together”. (http://www.freeanwar.net/june2002/facnews230802a.htm)

In September 2003, I wrote an article that was published in the Free Anwar Campaign website: “Tawan Kedah: Pipedream or pipeline?” (http://www.freeanwar.net/July2003/1999_Election_Analysis.htm)

In January 2004, I wrote an article that was also published in the Free Anwar Campaign website: “Only a revolution and not evolution can bring about change”. (http://www.freeanwar.net/Jan2004/facnews260104.htm)

In March 2004, I wrote an article that was published in the same website: “Crowds don’t translate to votes”. (http://www.freeanwar.net/Mar2004/Harakah_100304.htm)

Those were just some of the many articles I wrote and which were published in Harakah, Berita Keadilan (later called Seruan Keadilan) and the Free Anwar Campaign website.

I really don’t know whether I should repeat everything I have said before. Anyway, if you want to know what I have been saying from way back in 2000, just click those links and read on.

For those who do not like to read, which is basically the majority of Malaysians, let me summarise what I have been saying all these years.

First, don’t be fooled by the crowd turnout. In so many general elections and by-elections, the opposition attracts crowds in the tens of thousands while Barisan Nasional struggles to attract 100 people. But when the votes are counted, Barisan Nasional is the one who wins.

Second, you can’t hope for the voters to vote for you merely because they hate a certain leader or a certain party. You have to get them to vote for you because they love you and/or trust you. It must be a unity of love, not a unity of hate.

Third, if you depend on voters to vote for you because they are Chinese and you are also Chinese, or they are Muslim and you are also Muslim, then you have a very small market. You need to cut across racial and religious boundaries and get universal acceptance.

Fourth, as Peter Shroeder, the political adviser from Germany, said in 2001: voters the world over -- whether in Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, or Asia -- are all the same. The majority of them are selfish. They will want to know what they get for voting for you. It is not about ideals. It is about “what’s in it for me?” -- lower taxes, more money in my pocket, free education and medical benefits, better employment opportunities, welfare if I am not employed, housing, lower utility costs, etc.

Fifth, if the opposition wins 35% of the votes, Barisan Nasional will win 90% of the seats. If the opposition wins 45% of the votes, Barisan Nasional will still rule with a two-thirds majority. If the opposition wins 50% of the votes, Barisan Nasional will still rule with a simple but large majority. If the opposition wins 55% of the votes, Barisan Nasional will still rule with a very slim majority. If the opposition wins 60% of the votes, then Barisan Nasional would probably lose the government. If the opposition wins 65% of the votes, then Barisan Nasional will for sure lose the government.

Sixth, it is almost impossible for the opposition to win 60%-65% of the votes.

So there you have it. No, this is not an “I told you so” article. This is a “is the opposition on the right track” article. Granted the playing field is not level and there is extreme fraud and gerrymandering. But so was there in the last election and every election since Merdeka and every election from now till the end of time.

As Lee Iacocca said: don’t get mad, get even. The question is: what will the opposition need to do to get even? Hey, I am not the politician. Let the politicians answer that one. But whatever it may be, time and time again it has been proven you can’t win the election through ‘normal’ means. You will need a Tsunami. Only when you get a Tsunami will the swing be big enough to offset all the obstacles and handicaps that the opposition is faced with. If not, then the opposition is going to remain the opposition for a long time to come, except maybe in a few states.