When the first winds of dissent blew at the BERSIH and HINDRAF protests, we Malaysians were still skeptical if BN will lose its 2/3 majority. Even as a facebook group was set up, still I didn't think it was possible.
I am especially pleased that Hindraf leader and ISA-detainee M Manoharan, on a DAP ticket, obtained 12,699 votes to win with a 7,184-vote majority. In prison, with no campaigning!
Again, I respect people who dare to protest and even go all the way to prison when they could be comfortable as rich Indian lawyers.
Now, it seems that BN will retain 2/3 but barely survive.
(*update...seems like BN only has a simple majority! for the 1st time in history!! Unbelievable!)
Who would have even imagined Lim Guan Eng being Penang CM? Or Kelantan, Kedah, Penang, Selangor & Perak be under opposition leadership?
Unfortunately UMNO (United Malays National Organization) has not lost that many seats and the biggest losers are MIC (Malaysian Indian Congress) and MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association).
Even as smses are being sent by Christians all over Malaysia because there's a sense of change, an electric atmosphere of both hope for a new change and fear that the current government will sow racial tensions.....
But we have woken up. Hopefully a change for the better!
Malaysians, pray pray pray.
2 comments:
I think it's a good thing that the opposition does not replace the BN government straight away, as they clearly has zero experience running a nationwide administration. If that had happen, the opposition will definitely lose support fast, and BN will be back with a vengeance.
Now is the perfect time for the opposition to prove their worth. They have until the next election to show that they can perform, and not just nitpicking on BN's mistakes.
The fact that MIC and MCA lose the most seats might actually a blessing in disguise. For if UMNO can't please the chinese and indians, the BN will only go further down in the next election. Hope the current defeat whip some humility into them.
As for M Manoharan's case, I disagree with the no campaigning part. His 'martyrdom' is practically the best campaign one can come about. The fact that he's willing to sacrifice his freedom to fight against silent oppression shows that action speaks louder than words, something that BN should learn more about.
Yes, change is definitely coming. I'm glad to see a blogger (Jeff Ooi) has successfully entered the political arena, and proves the undeniable power of blogs. But will the change be better or worse? No one knows. The opposition has A LOT to prove this time around.
Yea it is indeed a very surprising but big and welcomed victory.
I guess, I have nothing else to add ...as I said before...
until and unless I myself return to Malaysia
because it's so easy to point out the various mistakes and shortcomings sitting comfortably facing my laptop in Sydney.
Will we actually love Malaysia enough to not just criticize the government but go back ourselves and make a diff however small in our profession?
Will I b like M Monoharan?
I hope at least some of us will....
Anyway hope u r doing well in Auckland. Haven't seen u for ages.
Come to sydney with man keat n tim sometime :)
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