Najib should clarify whether it is true Xi Jinping, President of China will not be visiting Malaysia this year, removing the programme from his 14GE plans

One of the hottest topics in the country is speculation on the timing for the 14th General Elections and the possible outcomes.

Only a month ago, there was considerable unanimity among the psephologists and political soothsayers – that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak would win hands-down in the next general election as the Opposition is too weak and divided, especially after the break-up of Pakatan Rakyat as PAS President Datuk Seri Hadi Awang embarked on his new political journey to prop up and champion Najib despite his 1MDB kleptocratic scandal.

One journal even published an article entitled “The Unsinkable Najib Razak”. Even Najib believe all these hypes.

But a fortnight night ago, there had been a start of a political hurricane in the country.

Now all the bets about the outcome of the 14GE are now off, and Najib and the top UMNO/BN leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers have been in panic in the last two weeks about the possible outcome of the 14GE, which may see them ejected from Putrajaya!

The start of the political hurricane was the Pakatan Harapan Presidential Council meeting on July 14, announcing the Pakatan Harapan structure, logo and new leadership line-up, which re-ignited new hopes and re-inspired Malaysians that there is still a chance of achieving in the 14GE the political change in Putrajaya for a new Federal Government in Malaysia, which the majority of Malaysians rooted for in the 13th General Election but was foiled by an undemocratic gerrymandered electoral system.

For the past two weeks, there is a new air, new hope and new confidence in Malaysian politics which had disappeared in the past four years after the 13th General Election.

There was greater diversity of views about the timing for the 14th General Election – whether this year or next year.

Najib had lost a golden opportunity of winning with the best possible results, if he had dissolved Parliament after the Sarawak state general elections in May last year.

It was reported today that Najib’s advisers are pushing for early general elections, possibly in late October or early November, as further delays could risk a “perfect storm” against UMNO/Barisan Nasional.

Various factors had gone into the mixer in the computation for the timing of the next general election, and one important such factor is the China card for Najib, especially with regard to the visit to Malaysia of President of China, Xi Jinping.

There had been earlier speculation that Xi’s visit to Malaysia was in August and then in October with consequent adjustments to plans for the timing for the 14th General Election.

Recent controversy surrounding the RM7.4 billion Bandar Malaysia project owned by 1MDB, originally awarded to China Railway Engineering Corp (CREC) and its Malaysian partner Iskandar Waterfront Holdings (IWH) but which was terminated by the Finance Ministry at the last minute with the intention to award the project to the Dalian Wanda Group, had roiled relations between Malaysia and China.

Najib should clarify whether it is true Xi Jinping, President of China will not be visiting Malaysia this year, removing the programme from his 14GE plans.

The greatest challenge of the 14th General Election is to achieve what the 13th General Election failed to do, to change the occupants of Putrajaya and instal a new Pakatan Harapan Federal Government.

The precondition for this feat is that Pakatan Harapan must achieve two political tsunamis in the 14GE so that Malaysia can become a normal democratic country after 60 years of nationhood – to be a country where Malaysians can use their vote to elect and change the government they want.

We must re-energise and re-inspire the many who had helped to create the political tsunami in the 13th General Election but who have lost hope that the electoral process is capable of producing any political change – to get them back into the hustings and the political campaigns to ensure that they have the stamina and perseverance to replicate in the 14th General Election the urban tsunami that was achieved in the 13th General Election.

But there must also be another tsunami – a rural tsunami to match the urban tsunami.

We can feel the beginning of a new political awakening among the Malays in the rural areas and Felda settlements, which had hitherto been inaccessible to other political parties previously, whether DAP, PKR, Amanah or even PAS.

Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and the Parti Pribumi Bersatu has altered the political landscape, breaking open the Malay hinterland which had hitherto been sealed and locked up by UMNO to allow in the ideas for change, justice and progress.

An urban tsunami without a rural tsunami will not effect political change in Putrajaya. A rural tsunami, without an urban tsunami, because of loss of hope and confidence in the ability of the electoral process to effect political change, would be equally fruitless and futile

If in the 14GE, there could both be an urban tsunami as well as a rural tsunami, which will mean a Malay tsunami in the rural hinterland, then Malaysia is embarked on political change in Putrajaya and a new Pakatan Harapan Federal Government to start the country’s journey as a normal democracy, to reset nation-building directions and policies as well as restore Malaysia’s international reputation by cleansing and abolishing Malaysia’s infamy and ignominy as a global kleptocracy.