THE BATTLES ARE WON.......BUT NOT THE WAR YET! MAJORITY OF MALAYSIANS ARE LOOKING FORWARD FOR GE13.........LET BN CONTNUES TO LIVE IN "SELF-DECEPTION"!

THE BATTLES ARE WON.......BUT NOT THE WAR YET! MAJORITY OF MALAYSIANS ARE LOOKING FORWARD FOR GE13.........


(The Malaysian Insider) - In just three years, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has promoted himself and his agenda to revive Barisan Nasional’s (BN) fortunes for another string of by-election wins yesterday while Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has floundered due to a cohesive strategy and policy.

BN won both the Merlimau and Kerdau state seats with significantly higher majorities than in Election 2008, where it had lost 82 Parliament seats and four state governments to a loose political pact led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The pact later coalesced as PR but remains as loose as it was on March 8, 2008 when it shattered the veneer of popularity for then-Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his Umno, the dominant partner in the BN.

Abdullah never recovered from the blow of Election 2008, just four years after he brought BN to its biggest victory ever in the 2004 elections where the ruling coalition won 91 per cent of the parliamentary seats and all states except Kelantan which PAS has kept since 1990.

Najib took over in April 2009, weighed down by scurrilous gossip that linked him to the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder and an Umno that could no longer command the majority of Malay support, its raison d’etre since the party was first founded in 1946.

Instead of pushing a damaged Umno and a hurt BN, Najib has pushed himself to the fore with economic policies and a moderate tone to win over Malaysians, including the Indian community that deserted the ruling coalition in the aftermath of the Hindraf march in November 2007.

He started with 1 Malaysia, proceeding to unveil his New Economic Model (NEM) with the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) and later the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) which covers nearly 200 projects and business opportunities.

The jury is out on the programmes and the funding but Najib has enjoyed a comfortable level of personal popularity since succeeding Abdullah, although Umno itself has yet to recover from the bruising Election 2008.


A measure of his success is the young candidates Umno has put up in the last three by-elections, or whom Najib has dubbed “winnable candidates” in his quest to renew and reform the party revived by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad after it was declared illegal in 1988.

“Basically, even if you don’t trust Umno, you can trust Najib. That’s the message,” an analyst told The Malaysian Insider last night.

The analyst also said facing Najib in the past two years has been an increasingly rudderless PR where de facto chief Anwar has been distracted by yet another sodomy trial, the first which pushed him out of contention as prime minister in 1998.

Anwar has thus far kept quiet over this past week’s brewing spat between allies PAS and DAP over Kelantan’s anti-gambling laws. All three parties had ironically promised last year not to allow football pools which was initially licensed to a Berjaya Group unit but has since been rescinded.

“PR is far from united as Anwar is the glue for PR but the trial is taking its toll and has reduced him to a figurehead,” said a PR leader who declined to be named.

In many ways, he added, the past three years have seen a reversal in fortunes for both Najib and Anwar.

“Anwar led us to a string of victories from Election 2008 to some of the by-elections but that seems so far away now. Najib is on the rise,” warned the leader.

“We have to get our act straight, work on our strengths and ensure the momentum of 2008 is not lost,” he added.

For the record, PR has won eight out of the 15 by-elections held since Election 2008.

Political analyst Datuk Dr Zainal Kling said the double win last night could be used as a benchmark of public support although the political tsunami that swept during the 2008 general election has not subsided.

“This is because we are yet to be sure of support by urban voters but there are signs that public support has returned to BN,” he told state news agency Bernama.

Zainal said this was due to hard work by Najib who created policies like the GTP, ETP and National Key Result Areas (NKRA).

“The BN government has to double its efforts to maintain the existing momentum, because the opposition always come out with plans and agenda to attract interest of the people,” he said.

INTI International University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid said BN cannot be too comfortable with the wins as history has showed that small errors can lead to a political tsunami like in 2008.

Comments (17)...

written by LILIN, March 07, 2011 18:00:03

Unfortunately, the PR strategists failed to understand the impact of the PAS attempts (at least some in the PAS) to join Umno. The PAS has now become a burden for Pakatan. As long they refuse to accept this reality, the PR is bound to be defeated one by one until the day they decide that PAS must piss off... ...

written by AlwaysFair, March 07, 2011 15:10:48

PAS just FCUKED the coalition by imposing lottery ban. I think LGE is moving in the right direction to get more influential Malays into DAP to make it have more multi-racial appeal because PAS (they are more interested in Islamist agenda than political ones) and PKR seem too weak for now and cannot get the people's trust and full support.

PAS just loves to act unilaterally as they like just like what Hassan Ali did with beer seizure. Once a while one of them just love to create an uproar by such racist acts.Why do we have such people in PAS who smear her good name. I can only think of Tok Guru, Nizar, Khalid Samad, Dr. Dzul (+ maybe another 1 or 2) who are good leaders. The rest are just too religious to be of any use or just dubious characters.

If not for TGNA's good examplary life I doubt PAS have much support and if he should pass away I think they will be lost in the wilderness.

Even though I hate Mamak, Bab- Ali and BN , I would also hesitate to vote for PAS. ..

written by temenggong, March 07, 2011 12:49:07

Pas has to be told clearly that if they want a larger role they must review their policies on islamism to be in line with secular Malaysia, or, be isolated in the four Malay states. The time has come for Pas to make that choice. ..

written by charli88, March 07, 2011 12:43:52

IF PAS KEEP IMPOSE ISLAMIC PRINCIPLE TO RULE ON NON-MUSLIM, 100% PR CAN'T TAKE OVER PUTRAJAYA. EVEN MUSLIM REJECT SUCH RULE LAH. PKR IS WEAK ON RURAL AREAS WHICH MALAY STILL PREFER UMNO. RURAL AREAS DON'T CARE ABOUT JUSTICE, EQUALITY, DEMOCRACY ETC. WHAT THEY CARE IS CARI MAKAN, BASIC NEEDS. PR SHOULD HIT HARD ON CORRUPTION BCOS' THIS IS WHERE THE TRUTH LIES. GET SOLID EVIDENTS OF MINISTERS, CC MEMBERS, MPS, ASSEMBLYMEN, DIVISION HEADS ETC EG. THEIR BUNGALOW HOUSES, CARS, OVERSEA ASSETS WHICH THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE AS CIVIL SERVANTS, POLITICIANS, UNLESS THEY ARE BIZMEN. DAMN ! ..

written by Den, March 07, 2011 12:26:38

Also, all PR members, pls wash your dirty linens at home and NOT IN PUBLIC.... those who did that were potential FROG... BN FROG ...

written by Den, March 07, 2011 12:24:43

Is it a reflection of result in coming GE? Fellow Malaysians, why don't you see the damage done by BN to our country? Why you vote them?

BN divided the nation

BN stole people's monies

BN encouraged racism

BN murdered ppl

BN controlled and manipulated police force, army, judiciary, press media, election commission, monarchy, public universities...

BN supporters = supporters of pirates, robbers, illegal traffickers, thieves, murderers, rapists,....

How can we vote for such a irresponsible politicians??????

Bros and sis in Sabah and Sarawan, please put your personal ambition aside for the benefit of the Nation, and for the good future of your family.. Please DO NOT VOTE BN...

BN KILLS, ROBS, MURDERS, SETS FIRE, RAPES, STEALS.....How can you allow this trend to continue...???????????????? WHY??????????????? ...

written by Fart Fart Wah, March 07, 2011 11:56:02

PAS IS A LIABILITY....IS A LIABILITY IS A LIABILITY!!!! I think it is not what has been bought but the new movement in the Arab world that has seen the worst of control using religion. Many now know that religious issues are being used to control people. Of the worse devil..PAS is worse. In the recent crack downs on various issues the people are getting fed up of PAS. I think the Malays are not ready to accept Islamization of Malaysia knowing that the other races are also to be considered. Pakatan has to look for new strategies... I think DAP HAS TO ROPE IN OTHER MODERATE PARTIES AND MOVE PAS OUT OF THE GROUP. ..

written by Saint, March 07, 2011 11:39:24

The number of police at Kerdau and the amount of money thrown and the amount of food thrown in, was just incredible. But most important "the close watch over these rural people" just did not give them space to move. "it was a game of intimidation and corruption" and a bit of physiology warfare to make these rural folks" to paying back the favour" makes BN win. I do not think BN can do this during a general election. ..

written by Awang Kuku, March 07, 2011 11:23:27

BN Tipu Budak! See below:
http://www.merdekareview.com/image_files/gallery/n110305_5.jpg ...

written by syd, March 07, 2011 10:51:21

Actually hor! the kampung folks have never experience a five star treatment before.

Once they are accustomed to five star treatment, they will never vote BN..

Once they have tasted efficiency and accountability, they will never vote BN.

hence, BN has no choice but to keep the malays poor, undereducated and uninformed. ...

written by knilecin, March 07, 2011 10:50:56

1NGO free dinner & gift factor. sigh.. ..

written by MrHot, March 07, 2011 09:53:53

"The Najib factor in BN’s twin wins" ????

AND I SAY NAAAH !!! ...

written by DezMalaysia, March 07, 2011 09:53:03

Like it or not, in Malaysia, Money can buy justice and even lives ! That's the ugly reality. ...

written by Pegasus, March 07, 2011 09:28:06

Najis win is because of buying votes not because he is sincere! ...

written by singhkris, March 07, 2011 08:54:51

If PR is still dreaming about taking over Putrajaya, it looks like a nightmare. Looks like some PAS leaders are trying to scuttle the trip by being in the payroll of UMNO. Otherwise only an idiot would impose a lottery ban in the middle of a by-election.

The victories for BN was expected from the start. They won their own searts. So do not read too much into that. BN has still not won a PR seat. Infact they have lost a few to PR. If BN is confident of a victory and support coming back, they will hold GE 13 immediately! ..

written by Revolution, March 07, 2011 08:27:50

The majority of Malaysians dont care about Justice and Democracy .

They care about themselves and Cash Money Only ... ...

written by educationist, March 07, 2011 07:40:29

The wins are expected but the increased majorities are foretell disastrous results for PR come GE13.

As one who's been hoping for change, I can but take a deep breath , and be patient.

After all, these years of misrule, corrupt rule by the UMNOPutras , have not dealt us Malaysians the death knell as yet.

So looks like the millions spent by the UMNOputras for their PR exercises and consultancy are bearing fruit.

But it is Anwar's and the PR's lack of progress in promoting the agenda of change since the 308 tsunami that have allowed the UMNOputras to steal the thunder!!

What will be, will be..