UMNO/BN leaders and strategists expect UMNO, MCA, Gerakan and MIC to lose more seats in 14GE and this is why they are cranking up their campaign of lies, hate and fear, especially the triple lie-hate-fear tactics that if UMNO loses, the Malays will lose political power

The 14th General Election is getting closer and we can detect certain panic in UMNO/BN leadership quarters.

This is because some UMNO/BN leaders and strategists expect UMNO, MCA, Gerakan and MIC to lose more parliamentary seats in the 14th General Election, which is why they are cranking up their campaign of lies, hatred and fear, especially the triple lie-hate-fear tactics that if UMNO loses, the Malays will lose political power in the country.

This is a downright lie, for whatever happens in the 14th General Election, whether UMNO/BN is defeated by the Pakatan Harapan of PKR, Amanah, Pribumi Bersatu and DAP, the Malays will not lose political power in the country, for the following four reasons:

Firstly, the 14th General Election is not a battle of UMNO vs DAP. It will be a battle between the Barisan Nasional led by UMNO and the Pakatan Harapan coalition of PKR, Parti Amanah, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) and DAP to save Malaysia from a kleptocracy by defending the founding Constitutional principles of a democratic, just and united plural Malaysia.

Secondly, DAP is not anti-Malay or anti-Islam. DAP is not a Chinese party as right from the beginning of our formation 50 years ago, we were committed to the principles and vision of a Malaysian party, led by Malaysians and serving the interests of all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region.

Thirdly, whatever happens in the 14GE, whether Najib is toppled as Prime Minister or UMNO loses the Federal Government, the Malays in Malaysia will continue to exercise political power in the country as there is no way they will lose their political power.

This is guaranteed by three demographic reality in the country: (i) the population make-up, where in 2010, the percentage of Malays in the Malaysian population increased to 55.07%, Chinese reduced to 24.34%, Indians dropped to 7.35%, non-Malay Bumiputeras maintained at 11.94% and 1.3% others; (ii) During the 13th general election, 52.63% of the voters were Malays, 29.68% Chinese, 7.31% Indians, 8.96% non-Malay Bumiputeras and 1.43% others; and (iii) Out of the 165 Parliamentary seats in Peninsular Malaysia, 114 are Malay majority seats representing some 70%, 22 Chinese majority seats (13%) and 29 mixed seats. There is not a single Indian majority seat.

Fourthly, a Pakatan Harapan Federal Government will compete with UMNO and Barisan Nasional to have a better record in upholding the fundamental features of the Malaysian Constitution and look after the rights and interests of all Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Kadazans, Orang Asli because a Pakatan Harapan Federal government does not want to be a one-term government but be able to continue to get the mandate of the electorate in subsequent polls to govern Malaysia. This means that a Pakatan Harapan government will have to prove to be better government than UMNO/BN in looking after the rights and interests of all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region!

In the past four months, UMNO/BN mainstream media like Utusan Malaysia, New Straits Times, Berita Harian and Star have become “lies-papers” as part of the UMNO/BN campaign to demonise Pakatan Harapan leaders and myself, where I am described as a devil, puaka, even jembalang; that I am anti-Malay, anti-Islam; cause of May 13, 1969 riots; a communist; a stooge of foreign powers; that I dominate Pakatan Harapan and made other leaders like Tun Mahathir, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and Mohamad Sabu as my stooges and puppets – all sorts of “unspeakable evil” under the Malaysian sun!

This is not because I have suddenly, after 51 years in politics, become the No. 1 threat to UMNO/BN government, but an indication of the fear and even panic of some UMNO/BN leaders and strategists that UMNO/BN could lose the 14GE.

So the rationale for the escalation of the campaign of lies, hate and fear against DAP and Pakatan Harapan leaders.

The 14th general election will be a test whether the UMNO/BN campaign of lies, hate and fear can be successful in misleading the voters to continue to support a kleptocratic Malaysia or whether the information age has changed the political and electoral equation and dynamics in the country by creating greater political awareness among Malaysian voters, including in the semi-urban and rural areas, to vote for a democratic Malaysia!