Author Archives: wcw

Unity govt remains intact

Malaysia needs to step up reforms and we can only benefit by being all-inclusive.

THE Unity Government isn’t about to collapse, and Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah won’t need to appoint the country’s fifth Prime Minister when he’s about to complete his five-year term.

PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang has claimed that a major victory for Perikatan Nasional in the recently-concluded six state elections would result in a change of Federal Government.

No doubt, PAS and Bersatu under Perikatan have done well, in terms of the number of state seats won, but the status quo remains in the governments of the six states.

That aside, state electoral results have no bearing on the formation or continuation of a federal government.

As constitutional law expert Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi pointed out, in 25 or so federal systems around the world, federal and state governments are separate and independent of each other.

It’s not uncommon for the federal government to belong to one party or coalition, and for some or all of the state governments to belong to another, he wrote.

Hadi isn’t entitled to decide who should be PM as the power to appoint or even remove the PM belongs to the King, as enshrined under Article 43 of the Federal Constitution.

The law is clear – the King appoints a PM who is a member of the Dewan Rakyat, who “in his judgement, is likely to command the confidence of most of the members of the House.”

So, even if Perikatan had won five of the six states, except for Penang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wouldn’t need to step down. It’s that simple.

The state elections weren’t a referendum on the PM’s right to govern, although it’s a rude wake-up call to the unity government that all is not rosy.

While the government has only been in charge for about nine months and has inherited many legacy problems, the niggling complaint is the lack of political will to conduct reforms to strengthen the economy.

Many Pakatan Harapan supporters have lamented it has been a case of more of the same, with the lack of resolve by past governments to move the country forward with fresh changes.

So, the only way PMX’s political opponents are trying to bring him down is to challenge him in Parliament.

Anwar has been bold enough to repeatedly throw down the gauntlet to the Opposition to table a vote of no confidence against him, but the deafening silence from a lack of response speaks volumes.

In an interview with The Edge before polling on Aug 12, sacked Umno leader Khairy Jamaluddin said: “You don’t even need Umno because Anwar has secured Sabah and Sarawak,” adding “What is the upside for them (Barisan Nasional members) to move?”

“Even if PH does badly, say 3:3, and significant inroads by PN – why would you remove your support from Anwar strategically? Even if it’s 4:2, it doesn’t affect the Federal Government.

“Umno is in a very precarious situation because even if Umno pulls out now, Anwar still has the numbers. So, Umno needs Anwar now. He (Anwar) planned this quite well.”

Currently, in the unity government, Pakatan has 80 seats (PKR 31, DAP 40, Amanah seven and Upko two); there’s a vacant seat in Pulai, Johor, which belonged to Amanah. It is supported by Barisan which has 30 seats (Umno 26, MCA two, MIC one and PBRS one); Gabungan Parti Sarawak 23 seats (PBB 14, SUPP two, PRS five, PDP two); Gabungan Rakyat Sabah which has six seats (direct members four, PBS one, Sabah STAR one); while the others are made up of Warisan (three); KDM (two); PBM (one); Muda (one) and Independents (one).

On the Perikatan side, PAS has 49 seats against Bersatu’s 25.

There have been calls for Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to assume responsibility and quit after Umno’s poor performance in the just-concluded state elections.

While he has expressed his readiness to take the rap, he is clinging on to his post, so his resignation is looking unlikely.

Umno has lost the ability to deliver the Malay votes. Ahmad Zahid can be blamed for aggravating the situation, but the erosion of support was already evident in 2018.

It didn’t happen overnight. The MCA and MIC, like Umno, have suffered the same fate. Other old parties like Taiwan’s Kuomintang and India’s National Congress Party have ended up likewise.

While PAP has been in government in Singapore for the last six decades and remains strong, the rebellious voices have grown louder now with the resentment evident on social media.

These parties haven’t been able to create fresh narratives for an increasingly young electorate that has no binding ties to the contributions of pre-independence parties.

The unwillingness of many Barisan component party leaders to relinquish their positions has not helped to rejuvenate their parties.

Then, there’s the inability to embrace social media competently, which would have widened their reach to voters. The lack of response at ceramah now would explain why voters prefer to follow proceedings online. The rules of the game have simply changed.

The sadness and even anger in Umno now are understandable. The results of the six state elections have been a big blow. Umno lost in 89 state seats it contested, and all were from the Malay heartland.

Of the 108 seats which Umno contested, it only won in 19, of which Negri Sembilan contributed the most.

There have been calls by some Umno members to pull out from the unity government and go solo, while there are Malay groups who are suggesting an Umno-PAS-Bersatu Malay government which would leave DAP out.

But Umno will be shortchanged having to play third fiddle if it subscribes to such irrational mono-ethnic philosophies. Worse, Umno will be out of the government.

No one party or group can hope to form the Federal Government without the support of Sabah and Sarawak, and PKR and DAP.

It’s simple mathematics.

The advocacy of an all-Malay political party government reeks of the tiresome and shallow “them vs us” narrative, which will only pull the country apart and send investors packing.

Neither would it help the PM if he starts to pander to the conservative and right-wing segment, which would never vote for Pakatan anyway. And more soberingly, it will alienate voters who choose the more progressive PH politics.

Yes, Anwar must win over the predominant Malay voters, who make up over 70% of the country’s demographic, but the best way is to uplift their livelihood and assure everyone has a place in Malaysia.

The reforms Anwar has promised need to be expedited. He must revamp his Cabinet soon.

Anwar also needs “wartime generals” who will defend him, not mere passengers in his respective machineries, including the Cabinet.

Yes, he must accommodate the interests, even demands, of the unity government components.

It’s a massive headache for him but by now, he knows who has performed and who hasn’t. Even the rakyat and media know.

Anwar has four years to fix this country. He doesn’t need to continue playing the populist game because it won’t benefit Malaysia in the long run.

Malaysians are tired of the continued politicking and endless rounds of elections. We’re not amused by politicians who keep telling their listeners to be wary or suspicious of their fellow Malaysians, whom they claim to be threats.

Mr Prime Minister, just do what is right and morally more important. You are the leader of Malaysians of all races and religions.

Come together

IT’S time to move on now that the elections in six states are over. Please remove the party flags and billboards as soon as possible because they’re truly an eyesore.

They are a reminder of how Malaysia has continued to waste taxpayers’ money on politics. The cost for the state polls totalled some RM420mil – just for the Election Commission to conduct the polls.

We have not even factored in the spending by political parties, which will surely run into millions, too. These political paraphernalia are another reminder of how some of our politicians have damaged race relations and nation-building in their selfish quest for power.

It has been an unproductive two weeks. Rather, it’s been longer than that because their narrative started even earlier.

The past two weeks have literally put our ministers and their staff on pause mode as they criss-crossed the six states to campaign.

If we were to look at the Prime Minister’s punishing programme, it’s amazing he even found time to travel to his Putrajaya office or even conduct meetings.

The bulk of his back-to-back schedule was simply being on the road to conduct ceramah.

He should, by right, be at his desk to pore over the piled-up files as well as focus his attention on running the country, especially to improve the economy.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been on the job for only nine months, and he has been put in a precarious position, which none of his predecessors had to go through during their time.

From ensuring his unity government remains intact to guaranteeing investments come to Malaysia, to fighting corruption and having to endure a 98-year-old politician who doesn’t know when to retire, it has certainly been tough.

But the worst of the lot are the selfish and irresponsible politicians who used race and religion to fish for votes.

They don’t care about the implications of their actions for Malaysia and her people. It takes much time and effort to build healthy race relations, but all this hard work has been undone by these irresponsible lawmakers.

After 66 years of independence, they have successfully made many non-Malays feel unwanted and blamed for almost every problem, many of which are fictional even.

And we are expected to believe their drivel that non-Muslims would not be marginalised if they form the next federal government? This, after hammering us daily?

Shockingly and sadly, there are even well-educated professionals who occupy positions in the public and private sectors, who buy the narrative that non-Malays are a threat to the position of Malays in this country.

Can non-Malays, who consider Malaysia their only home, be faulted if they ponder about their future in their beloved country?

Prior to campaigning, the police had warned politicians against touching on race, religion, and royalty issues, but were these directives even heeded?

The usual suspects made inflammatory statements, but the perception is they remain sacred cows.

Many of us also would like to remain hopeful and think that elections are silly seasons. Politicians are notorious for saying different things to suit their agenda.

When PAS was working with DAP, enough religious reasons were offered to justify their partnership, or rather, love relationship. After all, they had worked together in 1999.

It was the same with DAP, which used to wax lyrical about how fair the Islamist party was in running the Kelantan state government.

PAS has embraced and hugged Umno leaders at the PWTC, but when the love affair ended, it was back to square one – Umno has again been pushed into the infidel category.

Moving forward: With just two weeks left to National Day, it’s now time to put Malaysia first and hoist our Jalur Gemilang in the name of solidarity and unity! — KT GOH/The Star

These politicians get away with it because our electorate revere their leaders and the culture of holding figureheads accountable doesn’t exist.

Many of our political elites treat their parties as their family fiefdom and keep ensuring their wives, children and grandchildren remain in power, and most of us happily accept this feudalistic culture.

The same politicians will defend our education institutions but pack their kids off at an early age to study at international schools – where English is the medium of instruction – and even boarding schools in Britain or Australia.

Now, we read about the Dual Language Programme (DLP), which allows selected schools and classes to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects in English, coming to a standstill.

It has become a political see-saw with students and parents pleading for the programme to be retained.

By now, most of us are explicitly aware that the string of distinctions obtained by our SPM students really means nothing in the eyes of prestigious international education institutions.

Arguably, they don’t see the value of these distinctions because they seem too easy to obtain, with allegations that grades are compromised, and that English proficiency has been on the wane.

Well, our politicians who champion race and religion, and their children, are not going to suffer for their inadequacies, but it’s those in the B40 category who don’t have options.

There will always be the usual bogeymen for fallacies spouted by our politicians, and there will be enough voters who lap up the race and religion sales pitches.

With just two weeks left to National Day, one wonders if there’s enough time for the healing process.

Malaysians are a forgiving and forgetful lot. We move on fast, but we need leaders who can bring the country together.

Politicians who are unable and unwilling to put Malaysia together don’t deserve to be identified as leaders, or statesmen.

They can be accorded whatever title but, in the end, everything in life is temporary and we will be judged and held accountable.

Loyal Malaysians, please put Malaysia first, and not these self-serving politicians. And now it’s time to hoist our Jalur Gemilang in the name of solidarity and unity!

Everything counts

Capturing the ballot boxes: Pakatan chairman Anwar needs to urgently give that extra push in Selangor, especially with the non-Malays, before Aug 12. — AZMAN GHANI / The Star

ON the surface, Selangor seems to be a safe bet for Pakatan Harapan, and while it’s unlikely to retain its huge majority, it’s supposed to remain shielded.

But privately, Pakatan leaders are feeling unsettled despite their public announcements that Pakatan is confident of retaining the most important state.

Perikatan Nasional thinks it has a chance but isn’t sure of the Malay turnout. It needs at least 70% Malay attendance to potentially win.

Perikatan leaders are brazenly telling their listeners they have a 60:40 chance of a surprise victory as they intend to ride on the Green Wave, which they said is becoming a Malay Tsunami.

While Perikatan is openly using the race and religion narrative in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, Pakatan has chosen to stay clear of such tactics.

Bersatu leader Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali admits voters are different in Selangor.

It’s also interesting to note that PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan has placed a gag order on its members ahead of polling day.

It’s certainly an unusual directive but it’s safe to assume that the Islamist party doesn’t want its leaders and candidates to make alarming remarks which could only spook the people.

The party has a history of making statements re-enforcing its hardline image, which naturally always frightens non- Muslims.

With Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah remaining untouchable, PAS sees its winning streak continuing in other states, too, courtesy of its Green Wave.

While Perikatan has a lesser chance of winning Penang, Selangor and Negri Sembilan, PAS believes it has realistic chances of grabbing more seats in these states.

In Selangor, there are 56 seats up for grabs with a simple majority of 29 and 37 seats to secure a two-thirds majority.

Before dissolution, the breakdown was PKR (19), DAP (15), Umno (5), Amanah (6), PAS (1), Bersatu (4), Pejuang (1), Warisan (1), and Parti Bangsa Malaysia (2) Independent (1) and vacant (1).

The Batang Kali seat fell vacant after its assemblyman, Harumaini Omar, who is Selangor Pejuang chief, was sacked from the state legislative assembly for absenteeism.

There are 39 Malay majority seats, and this is where the battle will be most intense, while the others are mixed with a 50% or slightly more non-Malay electorate.

The rough racial breakdown in Selangor are Malays 54%, Chinese 32%, Indians 13% and others 1%.

Let’s not forget that Indians make up around 10% of voters in about 66% of the seats in Selangor.

In Kota Raja, for example, Indians make up 40% of the electorate, according to political scientist Bridget Welsh.

The concern now is that Chinese voters, who are instrumental in stopping the Green Wave, could be complacent. Early indications reveal that Chinese electorate turnout remains less than 60%, which won’t be enough.

It’s also worrying that Chinese voters feel that the DAP seats are sure wins, so their votes won’t make any difference.

But Pakatan is more interested in the non-Malay votes in the Malay-majority constituencies to determine the outcome.

Interestingly, urban Malays could choose to vote for Perikatan this time, albeit not because they like PAS.

Having spoken to a wide range of my Malay friends, their grouses with Pakatan include the coalition’s purported inconsistent stand on corruption, unclear economic direction, Umno’s leadership, and even local councils’ poor job.

My neighbours, for example, are outraged that a PKNS-owned public golf course is planning to build and relocate a double-storey clubhouse next to their homes. The future status of the golf course, which serves as a green lung, is unclear as it gives rise to speculation of a housing development.

Those in the mixed-ethnic neighbourhood are upset about this and have sought legal action.

It has nothing to do with politics, but the Kota Damansara seat, which is under Pakatan, may just lose some votes.

Ironically, my disgruntled neighbours have praised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for his investment efforts, especially in getting Tesla to set up its regional headquarters in Selangor.

As the campaign enters the final week, the media has reported the lack of interest in ceramah, embarrassingly, with images of many empty seats. This could be attributed to ceramah now being live streamed on the Internet.

I don’t think that it’s because voters prefer to meet their candidates at marketplaces.

It’s impossible to cover an urban constituency with a huge electorate on foot and it would be foolish of candidates not to use social media to their advantage.

For candidates making their debut, even if only a few thousand viewers follow their online interviews with influencers, it still has a wider reach than the conventional market walkabout, especially in the urban seats.

PAS has done remarkably well in using TikTok and other platforms while Pakatan, which used to be ahead of the game against Barisan Nasional previously, seems to have lacked that savviness in the social media war.

Former Umno leader Tan Sri Shahidan Kassim, who is now with Perikatan, has been able to garner TikTok figures of a few million for each of his postings, thanks to his social media team.

Time is running out. Pakatan chairman Anwar needs to urgently give that extra push, especially with the non-Malays, before polling day on Aug 12.

Anwar has spent the last few days in Kedah, where he has been able to command huge crowds for his ceramah. He highlighted the importance of foreign investments as he listed them down one by one, but he needs to return to Selangor for the last push in the state that matters most.

Pakatan must stop taking for granted that non-Malay votes are safe deposits. They’re not. Anwar has to convince the Malays that Selangor is not Kelantan, Kedah or Tereng-ganu.

A large section of Malays may be angry with the Umno leadership, but there are bigger causes to consider.

Nothing is certain anymore. Pakatan must do more if it wants to retain the Jewel in the Crown.

Multi-billion boost

Let’s take pride in our recent successes and stand tall as a nation.

GETTING a German-based global semiconductor giant to invest more than RM24.9bil over the next five years in Malaysia is a big deal, but the company’s expansion plans here have failed to generate the same excitement as the Tesla move.

A chip-making plant is perhaps not as sexy as an electric vehicle company owned by the world’s richest man, Elok Musk.

Three weeks ago, Tesla announced that Malaysia had been picked to set up its South-East Asia headquarters.

But there’s a difference: Infineon Technologies AG, which makes chips for cars and data centres, has put a definite figure to what it plans to do in Malaysia, which already has a staff of over 1,500 in its Kulim, Kedah, facility.

Infineon’s decision to build the world’s largest 200mm silicon carbide (SiC) power fabrication plant in Kulim surely deserves better news highlight and public awareness.

Reuters described the investments as “massive” and a “boost” to Malaysia, as order commitments for the purchase of chips, especially from China, are increasing.

The announcement was made just a few days ago and it shows Malaysia is steadily moving up the semiconductor industry value chain.

The Federal Government must be commended for clinching the deal as it will help boost Kulim as a centre for high-tech industry in East Asia, even if we’re lagging behind Taiwan.

Over the last 48 hours, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been making whistle stops in various Kedah districts.

On Saturday night, during his final stop in Baling, he spoke to a large ceramah crowd about the many investments that his Unity Government has brought to Malaysia, which will create thousands of jobs.

He defended the accusations by Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Sanusi that the Federal Government had ignored and by-passed Kedah by asking investors to go to Penang, instead.

The Prime Minister said the Federal Government’s initiative to convince Infineon to strengthen its commitment in Malaysia, particularly in Kulim, Kedah, should dispel such allegations.

Anwar had made the same pitch in his earlier ceramah rounds in Jitra and Alor Setar.

It’s unclear how many of his listeners understood his implications because Kulim has now become a home for high-technology manufacturing.

After all, rhetoric, accusations, and controversies get better traction from a ceramah than talking about complicated technologies, even if it provides jobs and leads to other side business benefits.

Infineon chief executive officer Jochen Hanebeck reportedly said the market for SiC had shown accelerating growth, not only in automotive but also in a broad range of industrial applications such as solar, energy storage and high-power electric vehicle (EV) charging.

The Financial Times reported that the additional production capacity in Malaysia indicates the German chipmaker making a larger bet on the car industry’s switch to electric vehicles.

It said its investment in its silicon carbon chip was “largely thanks to purchase commitments and prepayments from clients in the region, including Chinese carmakers SAIC and Cherry.” Reuters reported the other customers include Solaredge and three leading Chinese photovoltaic manufacturers.

The UK business daily reported that Infineon generates roughly half of its revenue from serving automotive companies and is seeking to gain from the transition to EVs, which require more chips than those run by combustion engines.

The team at the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry deserves to be commended for working hard to make this become a reality.

Many of us as Malaysians, can sometimes be too negative. We enjoy putting ourselves down.

But the two major investment news announcements, Tesla and Infineon, are indeed significant celebratory points for Malaysia.

The timing of this news, during the crucial six state elections, may be dismissed as a political opportunity, but in both cases, the investments prove actual work is being done to encourage the influx of investments.

These investments not only create high-skilled employment opportunities, but also positions Malaysia as a frontrunner in driving green technologies, a crucial aspect of achieving our global sustainable development goals.

It doesn’t look like the PAS-held Kedah government is going to collapse anytime soon, but the truth is, a lot of work went on behind the scenes to ensure investments worth billions of ringgit pour into Malaysia.

Of Tesla, Anwar and Jokowi

IT’S been three weeks since Tesla announced its plan to set up the electric vehicle regional headquarters in Malaysia, yet the decision by American billionaire Elon Musk has continued to be raging hot news in Indonesia.

The republic’s social media is demanding to know how Indonesia, which was so sure the deal was in its pocket, lost out to Malaysia.

Naturally, the country is upset that our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has managed to persuade Musk to choose Malaysia instead.

An annoyed Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Investment Coordinating Minister Luhut Panjaitan now wants a meeting with Musk.

He has announced his plan to fly to Texas on Aug 2 as “we would like to finalise Tesla’s investment in Indonesia,” according to Jakarta Globe.

But as the “controversy” drags on, online portal, thevocket.com headlined the news “Indonesia ‘Meroyan’ Tesla Pilih Buka Ibu Pejabat di Malaysia.”

CNN Indonesia chose the heading “Tesla Pilih Buka Kantor Cabang di Malaysia, Indonesia Gigit Jari.”

CNBC Indonesia asked “Media Asing Sorot Jokowi, Ungkap Kenapa Tesla Pilih Malaysia.”

Nikkei Asia ran an article which said Tesla’s decision “came as a big embarrassment for Indonesia as a ground-moving development for Southeast Asia’s cultivation of the electric vehicle industry.”

Indonesian president Jokowi Widodo had personally travelled to Texas in May 2022 to meet with Musk.

Lin Newman, the managing director of Indonesia’s American Chamber of Commerce, wrote in Nikkei Asia that “Indonesian officials have said that the US company (Tesla) has been on the verge of announcing a billion-dollar investment in batteries and other production in the country,” but Tesla never confirmed such plans publicly.

To put it simply, Anwar pulled off an incredible feat to get Tesla to set up shop in Selangor.

In the words of Tesla Regional Director Isabel Fan, the company’s plan is in response to “forward looking policies” from the government of Anwar, who held a call with Musk last month.

Newman wrote that “Joko Widodo is bound to feel jealous, as he has ardently courted Tesla much longer.”

Asia Times reported that Anwar revealed nothing when Luhut Panjaitan accompanied Jokowi to KL in early June but “sources close to Panjaitan said he only had an inkling of Musk’s move several days before the announcement but did little to diminish his annoyance at being blindsided.”

But Malaysia’s bold decision to wrap up the deal was simply because Anwar made a more attractive pitch.

Tesla doesn’t have to deal with local middlemen, unlike Indonesia, and got a guarantee that the company wouldn’t have to work with or share profits with a local partner.

Jokowi’s promise of incentives ranging from tax breaks to a concession to mine nickel, an essential component for EV batteries, wasn’t enough for Musk in the end.

Indonesia’s cause wasn’t helped either by it blocking X – the social media platform formerly known as Twitter – in Indonesia, under the country’s strong curbs on “negative content”, which reportedly affected 24 million users in the republic.

According to Newman, the arrangement with Malaysia also encompasses a range of other pledges, including building a network of service centres and charging points, which would translate into thousands of jobs for Malaysians “and an important step towards better green credentials for the country.”

Tesla began selling its car last month in Malaysia at about RM200,000, which is a quarter of the retail price in Singapore and Indonesia.

He said Malaysia’s well-trained and tech-savvy workforce was another winning factor which has “long drawn interest from high-end investors.”

The lesson here for Asean countries, including Malaysia, is that stringent rules which discourage serious investors won’t work anymore. It has cost Indonesia the Tesla deal.

With its myriad of rules that often work against foreign investors, it will be tough for Indonesia to remove these obstacles overnight, so Anwar deserves credit for his readiness to move forward and hasten the deal.

While Panjaitan openly complained of Musk’s demands, saying he was dictating, Anwar and his team worked the ground quietly and effectively, and no one could resist the PM’s charms.

Malaysia may be smaller than Indonesia, but we have a higher income per capita, which means more EV sales, and better road infrastructure.

For Malaysia to move forward, we need to remain focused and be competitive, and certainly not dwell on the politics of race and religion, which will spook and drive investors away.

Snubbing Gerakan not the best way to start state polls

IT’S NOT exactly the best incident ahead of the state elections. In fact, the rude snub by a PAS leader to Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau was pathetic.

For Lau, it’s more than just a bruise to the ego. He has just been reminded of his party’s stature and respect in Perikatan Nasional or rather the lack of it.

Lau has understandably attempted to downplay the incident by denying he was asked to leave a PAS ceramah in Sungai Dua, Penang.

But a video from a portal, which has gone viral, suggests otherwise.

In the clip, PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad was ushered to the event while state PAS secretary Iszuree Ibrahim is clearly heard saying “tak boleh” (cannot) to Lau, who was seen smiling sheepishly.

Idris, who served as minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Religious Affairs from 2021 to 2022, earned notoriety when he tried to ban the Japanese cultural event, Bon Odori, in Selangor.

Idris, a national leader, did not attempt to help Lau, who was caught in the embarrassing spot.

As a face-saving gesture, Lau quickly issued a denial late Wednesday (Aug 2) evening, denying he was asked to leave the PAS ceramah.

Lau said while it was true that Gerakan was not invited to attend, he was not asked to leave.

”I was there to see PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, but as the event ran late, I could not speak to him and left.

”He (Abdul Hadi) asked to meet at 9pm, before the Sungai Dua ceramah started, but he ran late and was there around 10.30pm.

”As the ceramah had begun, I could not speak with him,” he said when contacted on Wednesday.

”When we left the ceramah, it was almost 11pm,” he said.

Lau said he did not have time to meet Abdul Hadi, but he has since spoken to him.

”It is untrue that I was at any point asked to leave,” he said.

But he did not say that PAS isn’t welcoming him in the constituency as Iszuree has been eyeing the Bayan Lepas seat.

The local PAS grassroots are upset that Lau has been allowed to contest in the Malay-majority area.

Lau is contesting in the Bayan Lepas state seat on a Perikatan Nasional ticket against incumbent assemblyman Azrul Mahathir Aziz from Pakatan Harapan.

It has been reported that the PAS grassroots threatened to boycott the polls after Lau was named to contest the seat.

Local PAS leaders said the party had been doing the groundwork there for years and would not accept Lau, whom they claim was a “parachute” candidate.

Lau has put up a brave front by saying that the PAS protests were due to “miscommunications” and would be “resolved”.

But Lau was seen backed by Perikatan secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, who turned up to show his support during Nomination Day on July 29.

Lau had previously contested the Batu federal seat in Kuala Lumpur in 2013 and 2018 but lost both times.

He hopes to end his losing streak by contesting in Bayan Lepas, which has 64.41% Malay votes, 29.81% Chinese, 5.29% Indians, and 0.19% Bornean state bumiputra.

Lau is banking on the Green Wave to pull him through, but a high turnout by non-Malay voters who support Pakatan would kill off his chances.

Gerakan has been heavily criticised by many as a “token” in Perikatan, and the latest incident only reinforced this perception.

Is the Malay Tsunami Coming?

Worse for wear

Political fatigue might just be the buzzkill of the state elections.

SEASONED journalists often cringe in embarrassment when their younger colleagues ask politicians facing an election if they are confident of winning and how many seats they expect to secure.

In the media trade, it’s what we call a no-brainer question. It’s so obvious and would be a stupid question to pose to a politician.

No politician or political party contesting in any kind of polls would say they have no chance of winning because they would lose their deposits.

Almost every politician has said they are certain of winning. And Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has predicted a political tsunami.

His opponent, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has even forecast that PAS-held Kedah will fall.

Bersatu leader Datuk Seri Azmin Ali has talked about the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan state government in Selangor, the jewel in the crown.

His brave prediction – 60:40 in favour of Perikatan Nasional. He only means he can be a Mentri Besar again.

Honestly, there’s a lot of hot air. Most of these predictions are mere psychological warfare. In fact, many are far-fetched tales.

It helps to make the elections exciting, and everyone loves a good fight until polling day, this one on Aug 12.

In my 38 years as a journalist, the only politician who enjoyed playing the sympathy card has been DAP veteran leader Lim Kit Siang.

I have lost count the number of times he had branded himself an underdog and that he would lose against the might of Barisan Nasional’s money, machinery, and media.

Almost all elections during his time were “the mother of all elections” and the “dirtiest elections ever,” but that has never stopped his party from winning.

But he has never questioned the legitimacy of the elections and happily accepted the party’s victories.

So, as a dyed-in-the-wool journo, I plead with all young media friends to stop asking politicians if they’re confident of winning.

Even Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, following his humiliating defeat in last year’s general election, wondered why he lost his deposit.

He was probably confident of winning although most Malaysians, including the people of Langkawi, had the desire for him to retire. He has overstayed his welcome and by now, more of them are simply just tired of him.

It’s painful for many of us now to hear his outrageous statements. As writer Dennis Ignatius put it, Dr Mahathir seemed to have been taken over by the dark side following the 98-year-old’s statement to “stop calling Malaysia a multi-racial country.”

Well, he is packing the stadiums in the East Coast not because of his popularity, in case he assumes that, but because these rallies are organised by PAS.

The Islamist party is more than happy to use Dr Mahathir, and that’s a safe political assumption.

Confident bid: Pakatan and Perikatan supporters heading to the nomination centre in Gombak, Dewan SMK Sungai Pusu, on nomination day yesterday. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star

In these states, where entertainment is non-existent, political rallies are events no one wants to miss. The jokes from these politicians certainly provide comic relief.

So, not only have politicians been carried away at the sight of the giant crowds, but some have even strayed from their main content and run into borderline seditious issues.

Size does matter when it comes to rallies, but it won’t necessarily translate into votes. Large gatherings are morale boosters. It also provides a perception, if not, deception, that one is winning in the polls.

But inside the war-rooms, numbers are being crunched every day to give a more reliable assessment of how the voting trend will swing.

That is not foolproof either. Even the so-called intelligence from the police and army has been proven wrong on many occasions.

During GE14 (the 14th General Election in 2018), Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was so sure he would get at least 120 parliamentary seats. When editors asked him why he was so sure, he said he had reliable information from intelligence.

Well, it wasn’t intelligent findings in the end.

Last week, Bersatu leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said he still has friends in the police, as a former home minister, and that he was informed that Perikatan was leading.

It’s the same with survey findings. We will soon be flooded with all kinds of charts and numbers but take them with a pinch of salt.

Some are conducted by groups that are aligned or funded by certain political groups, and the findings are skewed for political expediency.

Then, there are real ones which politicians will try very hard to dispute and cast aspersions on if the findings don’t suit them.

In the 2016 US presidential elections, all the TV stations and pollsters went horribly wrong by writing off Donald Trump, who went on to win the polls.

As of now, the popular prediction is that Perikatan will do very well in Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu – all PAS strongholds – while Pakatan will retain Selangor, Penang and Negri Sembilan, but suffer heavy damage by Perikatan.

However, two weeks is a long time in politics. In these three Pakatan states, the only way Perikatan can turn the tables would be to see a 70% Malay turnout and ascertain they all vote for the party. Perikatan will also be hoping that the response from the Chinese is low.

Pakatan will desperately need to appeal to the Chinese to turn up in full force as if it’s a general election.

No one can tell for sure as of now. Voters have bigger and more important things on their minds, such as earning their income and paying their bills rather than helping politicians win elections.

But one thing is certain, we can confidently say that most Malaysians are tired of the never-ending politicking in this country.

Voters have bigger and more important things on their minds, such as earning their income and paying their bills rather than helping politicians win elections.

Addressing concerns of Indian voters

It’s best that politicians learn that they need to champion the interests of all Malaysians regardless of race.

PKR Member of Parliament Datuk Ramanan Ramakrishnan does not mince his words. He is blunt and assertive, which sometimes means that even his party colleagues find it difficult to deal with him.

The Sungai Buloh lawmaker gets passionate when he starts talking about the status of the Indian community, which he described as “marginalised for too long”.

He is upset that some politicians suddenly have a newfound “love” for Indian voters and just as suddenly, “it is time we fix their problems”.

Datuk Ramanan Ramakrishnan

As head of the Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit (Mitra), Ramanan has been given the task of drawing up programmes to help the community.

“This unity government is eight months old, and we have plenty to do. I must convince Indian voters that even though this may be a state election, we still need a clear endorsement,” he said.

Ramanan has been busy setting up interviews with various media over the past few weeks to push the message across.

As the fight between Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional becomes more intense ahead of the election in six states, Indian votes have become crucial. Some analysts have even described them as the kingmakers.

Indians make up about 10% of voters in about 66% of the seats in Selangor, 56% of the seats in Negri Sembilan, 55% in Penang and 22% in Kedah.

Political scientist Bridget Welsh wrote that the overall share of Indian voters is 15% in Selangor, 14% in Negri Sembilan, 11% in Penang and 7% in Kedah.

In Kota Raja, Selangor, Indians make up 40% of the electorate; Perai in Penang has 35% while Jeram Padang, Negri Sembilan, has 34%.

Unlike Chinese voters, who are certain to overwhelmingly support Pakatan, especially the DAP, the jury is still open as far as Indian votes are concerned.

Welsh wrote that in four of the states – Kedah, Negri Sembilan, Penang and Selangor – Indian voters will influence not only who wins certain seats, “but shape who will hold power and by what majority”.

At a meeting with senior editors and reporters at the Concorde Club, Bersatu leader Datuk Seri Azmin Ali said Perikatan is pushing hard to get Indian votes.

Indeed, Welsh said unlike Chinese voters, “PAS/Perikatan has won over a small share of Indian support”.

“Their gains have been most effective among more economically vulnerable Indian voters,” she wrote, adding that in Penang, for example, Perikatan won about 8% of Indian votes followed by Kedah at 6% during the general election last year.

She said Indians were looking to see how their concerns were being addressed, with sentiments ranging from hope to disappointment.

“From the election fieldwork to date, many Indians express the view that they are being ignored. Among the vulnerable Indians (like the rest of Malaysians), rising costs are their main concern,” she added.

Meanwhile, Ramanan said three initiatives for the B40 Indian community will be rolled out this year under Mitra, which include initiatives that would focus on education, the economy, job training, as well as welfare and social well-being.

He added that 10,000 students from the B40 group at public universities would receive benefits under the Bachelor’s degree university assistance subsidy programme, which would cost an estimated RM20mil.

“The purpose of this programme is to ease the financial burden of parents whose children are in second, third or final year at public universities. Each student will receive a one-off subsidy of RM2,000.

“In collaboration with Bank Simpanan Nasional, the funds will be distributed before the semester begins.”

Ramanan said the second initiative would see RM10.8mil set aside for private Tamil kindergartens registered with the Education Ministry.

“Each child will get a monthly subsidy of RM200, which will cover kindergarten fees and breakfast for one year.

“This programme, targeting 4,500 recipients, is aimed at reducing early education dropouts and to deal with literacy and numeracy problems among children,” he said.

Ramanan also announced that a RM8.64mil health initiative, aimed at helping some 900 chronic kidney patients, would be implemented.

Each patient would get a RM200 subsidy per dialysis session and applications would be open from now until Aug 30, he added.

But not to be outdone, Perikatan has launched a campaign to boost support from Indians, led by MIC supreme council member K.R. Parthiban.

The MIC activists who make up the secretariat are focusing on Tanjung Karang, Kuala Selangor, Sabak Bernam, Sungai Besar and Hulu Selangor.

Even Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has announced that he wanted Tamil to be taught as an additional language in schools, adding that he would speak to Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek on the matter.

It looks like the politicians have woken up to the fact that Indian votes matter. But in a tight race, all votes matter and it is best that politicians learn that they need to champion the interests of all Malaysians regardless of their race.

No party can hope to form the next federal government without the backing of Sabah and Sarawak, and they are Malaysians, too.