The most ominous implication of the Malacca general election is that Najib may become the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia
The most ominous implication of the Malacca general election is that Najib Razak may become the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia in the national 15th General Election.
Is this what Malaysians deserve, to get rid of the man who made Malaysia infamous as a “kleptocracy at its worst” and to receive him back four years later as a saviour of the nation freed of all corruption charges as if to install a model kleptocracy for the world?
No wonder a “letter to the editor” asked and commented:
“How did a convicted felon become a sensation in the Malacca election campaign?
“How a political coalition stacked with humongous corruption allegations and court proceedings won the hearts of voters is mind-blowing.”
Fortunately, this is not a foregone outcome in the forthcoming 15th general election.
Barisan Nasional won two-thirds majority of the seats in the new Malacca State Assembly but it did not win two-thirds of the votes cast in the polls on Nov. 20, 2021.
In fact, Barisan Nasional secured only 38.39% of the votes cast, an infinitesimal increase of 0.55 per cent of the votes cast as compared to the 2018 general election.
Clearly, Barisan Nasional does not have the mandate of the majority of Malaccans, let alone two-thirds majority of Malaccans, to rule the state.
There were 11 seats which Barisan Nasional won with less than 1,000-vote majority, eight against Pakatan Harapan (PH) and three against Perikatan Nasional (PN).
The voter turnout in the Malacca general election is 19% lower than in the 14th general election – 83.52% in the 14th general election as against 64.56% in 21 Malacaa general election.
DAP lost Pengkalan Batu by 131 votes, lost Duyong by 200 votes and lost Gadek by 559 votes; PKR lost Paya Rumput by 629 votes, lost Kelebang by 876 votes, lost Machap Jaya by 938 votes, lost Rembia by 860 votes; Amanah lost Durian Tunggal by 559 votes; Bersatu lost Tanjung Bidara by 364 votes and lost Pantai Kundar by 827 votes while PAS lost Serkam by 789 votes.
If these 11 seats had been won by PH and PN, the distribution of seats among the three coalitions in Malacca on Polling Day would be PH 13, BN 10 and PN 5.
The Malacca general election results remind me of my visit to Hang Tuah’s grave in Duyong, where I wondered whether the curse of corruption which had caused the fall of the Malacca empire more than 500 years ago would also be the cause of the downfall of Malacca and Malaysia in the 21st century.
Undoubtedly, the Malacca General Election is a setback for the DAP and Pakatan Harapan’s cause of Malaysian First, the Malaysian Constitution, the Rukun Negara, good governance and the rule of law.
Malaysians must not give up hope and the struggle for Malaysia to leverage on the best virtues and values of the four great civilizations which meet in Malaysia to make Malaysia a world-class great nation – even if the deadline is Malaysia’s Centennial in 2057.
Although there are political analysts who say the Malaysians are not interested in these principles, I am fortified by my visit to Bukit China during the Malacca election campaign, as Malaccans and Malaysians united to make a success of the “Save Bukit China campaign” as a national heritage 37 years ago, proof that Malaysians can and will also fight for principles and the national interests.