Listen up, BN: The people have spoken
By Karim Raslan | Posted: 10 March 2008 1157 hrs

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With state governments tumbling and a drastically reduced majority in Parliament, the people of Malaysia have made themselves heard — loud and clear. As a writer, I must humbly admit that I misread the mood of the country when I said the election would probably not be "an epochal contest".

Indeed, the very opposite is true.

We are entering a new political paradigm. It will tough and there will be many new lessons to be learnt on all sides of the political fence. But the central lesson is clear — the people are in charge.

People of all races — Malay, Chinese and Indian — voted in record numbers to show their anger and frustration with the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition — delivering defeats to giants such as Works Minister Samy Vellu; Minister for Women, Family and Community Development Shahrizat Abdul Jalil; Deputy Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin; and Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon.

The opposition has quadrupled its numbers in Parliament. It now remains to be seen if they can live up to their promise. The opposition have a history of squandering gains through infighting and inertia.

Success in their newly-won states, surely a barometer of their viability as political alternatives, rests on the ability of the polar opposites of the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the Islamic-based Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) to co-operate.

So, what could have triggered such a swing against the ruling coalition?

First, it is obvious that the BN underestimated the impact of young voters. Close to a million new voters cast their ballots. Their passion and conscientiousness in discharging their duties as citizens has put previous generations of Malaysian voters to shame. The BN simply failed to win them over.

To put it simply, the young Malaysians who voted are a different proposition from their parents and grandparents. BN is simply now reaping the bitter harvest of having talked down to the youth, treated them with disrespect and excluded them from the political process.

Second, Malaysian Indians have become king-makers. Decades of marginalisation and recent attacks in the shape of temple demolitions have united them against the establishment. They have punished the Government, and the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) in particular, for being ineffectual.

Their Chinese counterparts too, have registered their frustrations over the arrogance and incompetence of some sections of the BN, especially United Malays National Organisation (Umno). Their disgruntlement over the New Economic Policy (NEP), the creeping pace of Islamisation and their utter alienation from the national life has proven to be the downfall of Gerakan and the Malay-sian Chinese Association (MCA).

Both communities have shown what withdrawing their support can do to BN.

Many pundits also missed the discontent among the Malays.

The dominance of the Umno is over.

The results are a clear sign that the party which delivered Merdeka has forgotten the lessons of 1999: It cannot assume the Malays will fall in line simply because it champions their supposed ketuanan or Malay dominance. Anger over the rising cost of living as well as anxiety over the leadership of Mr Abdullah Ahmad Badawi are most telling in the way many urban Malay seats were lost.

BN seriously underestimated the continuing appeal of Mr Anwar Ibrahim. Despite a media blackout he was a potent and effective opponent and will remain a key factor for many years to come.

What now for BN? There will definitely be upheavals in the leadership of component parties, possibly even Umno. But will the ruling coalition learn from this election? And what is the lesson?

It is clear that party strategists must go back to the drawing board. The same old ethnic scare mongering and promises of government contracts no longer work. It is no longer enough for the government to focus solely on economics. There are higher expectations from all quarters.

Socio-political rights and a sense of fair play are becoming increasingly important to Malaysians.

Umno leaders must also ask themselves, to what extent their own posturing has contributed to the weakness of the component parties? As the dominant member of the coalition, its role in the losses cannot go absolved. Call it what you will, the BN and Umno must reform themselves.

The people have spoken. - TODAY/fa