Enough of this politics of fear

Enough of this politics of fear

Shariman Yusuf | Mar 14, 08 5:17pm, Malaysiakini.

Malaysians have spoken. The message is loud and clear. Democracy in Malaysia is alive and kicking. Power comes from the people and it can be taken away by the people. For too long, we have forgotten this. Even foreign onlookers do not think much of our system of democracy. A British colleague of mine remarked shortly before the elections that it was a foregone conclusion and not worth observing. Not any more, mate! Those politicians who walk with a swagger and think that they are God’s gift to us have now been humbled and reminded not to take for granted the power that has been entrusted by the people.

While BN is still digesting the shocking news, if I may, let me offer my thoughts on the 12th General Elections. BN ran the wrong campaign on the wrong issues. They thought they could set the issues via the mainstream media and when repeated daily, these issues would sink in. That is how advertising is supposed to work and with such a strong machinery, it should. Unfortunately for BN, the people are not so easily fooled and have lost faith in the way the mainstream media reports information, rendering this machinery ineffective. Forget talking about the urbanites who can clearly see through the propaganda, it cannot even sell to the target audience in the rural areas. Today, the battle ground for the issues is on the Internet. Even those in non-urban areas with no Internet access are getting these messages on printed material sourced from the Internet.

Further reinforcement comes through circulated videos, SMSes, big ceramah, and the old door-to-door style of campaigning. If these are not enough, their children who have left home for greener pastures come back and tell them. The point is, there is a real hunger for information and serious discussion but we are not getting this from the mainstream media. People like me who do not wholly accept the stories on the Internet (some of which are on the complete opposite extreme) will have to exercise judgment and find the middle ground. There is a vacuum to be filled and with that comes an opportunity for those in a leadership position from both sides to remedy.

Demonstrate leadership and grab hold of it. On the BN side, to regain credibility, fix the current mainstream media and find a solid platform on the Internet. Get rid of those media spinners who were spun by their own messages. Put in place real journalists and let them do what they are supposed to, that is, fair and balanced reporting. I am sure you will find people coming back.

So what were the issues that the ‘Barisan Rakyat’ successfully raised and set via the alternative media? The main ones include corruption in the judiciary, inflation, crime, economic corruption, Hindraf, anxiety in the Chinese community, lack of strong leadership and also controversial leaders in BN. The BN leadership could have taken the upper hand with many of these issues if only their strategists listened to the ground sentiment. However, they were comfortable in their outdated strategies and machinery and were lost in their own propaganda, so much so they could not hear the issues the electorate wanted them to champion. If the strategists and spin doctors actually dealt with the issues, they do have some bullets. Is it not under Pak Lah that a Royal Commission was formed to investigate and expose the problems he inherited in the judiciary? Did he not act against his senior most VP during the Umno elections accused of excessive corruption? Has he not set a fairer economic agenda by focusing on the poorer regions and rural folk rather than only mega-projects? Did he not set aside the NEP for the development of Bandar Iskandar? Are the debates we are seeing today not, in part, a result of his consensual style of leadership? Was Anwar not freed under his watch? These do not answer or solve all the issues but Pak Lah can get some credit if BN’s campaign confronted these issues.

After all, politicians use facts selectively. They want the takeaway message to be simple and strong. Look at Anwar; he kept repeating in the campaign how stable the price of oil was when he was Finance Minister from 1991 to 1998. He conveniently forgot that the global price of oil has shot up by more than four times since then. But nonetheless, such a message was effective and even when met with criticism that he would bankrupt the country, his simple rebuttal was that what would bankrupt the country are the cronies running around and getting their projects with excessive margins and commissions at the taxpayers’ expense. He is an orator par excellence with a commanding voice and he works the crowd with a great deal of humour. Humour is important especially if you are talking for an hour and want to maintain a connection with your audience.

Once connected, it is difficult to break. Even Dr Chandra could not reverse the tide with his damaging remarks. This is because he raised nothing new and his timing made a lot of people question his real motivation. He has got to make up his mind whether he is a politician or a credible political commentator. In the end, it backfired and Chandra lost his very own credibility. The thing is he brought up a lot of old stuff about what Anwar did while in government, which Chandra knew when he joined PKR. So knowing all this and still joining him, what does that say about Chandra himself? At least, Nalla introduced more recent events about Anwar.

Many say the picture today would be different if some ‘controversial’ leaders were dropped in the candidate list. This was a unique opportunity for Pak Lah to demonstrate strong leadership and simultaneously tackle a couple of issues, like Hindraf. Instead, some good candidates who had to deal with their ‘controversial’ brothers and sister became collateral damage. The Prime Minister’s biggest mistake now will be to appoint any of these ‘controversial’ figures in Cabinet. He may think that the controversy and perception over them are unjustified, but he would be going against the sentiment and the result is that he will have to continue fighting these battles.

At this point, that is the last thing he needs and again, it represents another opportunity for him to show who the boss is. I do not think Dr. M made the wrong choice; he had four attempts, something very few Prime Ministers had. Tun faced the battle for his survival after six years in power and he has now secured his position in Malaysian history. What is happening in Malaysia now could be very positive because the transformation in our political landscape can lead to a stronger and more mature Malaysia. If Pak Lah can survive and direct us through this journey, he will come out more solid and be fondly remembered.

What about the former Opposition parties who brought the ‘winds of change’ and are now surprised to find themselves in a position of power? For starters, keep to the ‘winds of change’ rather than a political tsunami. Like my mother said, a tsunami is destructive. I woke up on March 9 after very little sleep and felt the air was different. The doomsayers were making comparisons to 1969 which was the only other time the 2/3rds majority was denied and we all knew what happened after that. I did not feel so worried; rather I was feeling quite proud to be a Malaysian as the voice and power of the people really came out. Moreover, for the first time, a lot less people voted along racial lines and this is why I thought we would not see a repeat of ’69. Many BN leaders were magnanimous and mature in accepting defeat. Equally, the maturity with which the Opposition parties reacted to their new found power was a breath of fresh air and impressive: no victory parades on the streets and straight down to business. They put aside their differences and concentrated on their shared principles of good and just governance.

No doubt, MCA was quick to remind the Chinese that DAP committed a cardinal sin by working with PAS. But enough of this politics of putting fear into people and let the people judge for themselves. So far, the new Yang Berhormats are talking about freedom of information and transparency in administration, setting up a shadow cabinet, open tendering, reducing excesses such as office renovations and using existing cars. I must say, they are starting on the right track and I am wondering whether we are moving towards a ‘two-party’ system in our country. Can the loose ‘Barisan Rakyat’ coalition last? Detractors will quickly point out their ideological incompatibility vis-B-vis the Islamic State bogeyman and they say this will hit the coalition very soon and derail them. I am not so sure. Understood properly, the real Islam is a very progressive religion and fair to all. There is nothing to fear and much common ground to find.

Therefore, are we beginning to see a new age in Malaysian politics, the age of maturity? I hope and pray so.