I refer to the Malaysiakini report Unexpected 42% rise in non-Malay BN support .

I know I can be emotional sometimes, but the current scenario in my country or what's left of it makes me want to rant and pinch myself many times to have a reality check in response to the cry of outrage that rises from my heart.

So here I sit before my laptop, riddled with doubts, pessimism, anger, shock and even bewilderment in response to the Bagan Pinang by-election result to ask this simple question: ‘Hey dude, is this my country?’

What is left for the country when all kinds of bizarre excuses are given for a win or a victory in a by-election? Who is going to take responsibility for the outcome which has only served to fan the burgeoning pride of the status quo which does not at all reflect the sentiments at the grassroots level?

Allow me to present my humble views. Let's look at the situation with eyes wide open and learn a few lessons to be prepared for other by-elections in the future.

1. Long-term strategy and a blueprint for victory

It is obvious that Pakatan Rakyat does not have a practical and effective blueprint to strategise its course of action both as a united coalition and as individual component parties in their effort to be the next ruling government.

Despite its convincing and resounding March 8 2008 victory and also in that of other by- elections, component parties of Pakatan Rakyat are not really that united and seem to delight in coming together as a cameo appearance in a drama where the winner that takes it all would be the one that has the machinery, strategy and money to knock out its opponents. Let's examine the issue at a more micro level.

Firstly, the old adage of ‘pride comes before a fall' rings true. In the light of past victories, some parties seem to be overconfident, arrogant, myopic in vision, clueless in strategy and quite indifferent to the fact that to succeed, Pakatan has to move as a composite unit.

So completely gelled together to the extent that even if a tsunami were to hit them, they have the capacity to stand firm, strong and united. Did they consult each other to plan and to execute their plan together so that their man could win?

Secondly, in the Bagan Pinang by-election, many Pakatan supporters thought that the voters would vote for the PAS candidate for the sake of Pakatan. Hello - get real! Every area has its own unique population whose ideals, psyche, inclinations, aspirations, mob behaviour and public opinion may differ from other areas. One cannot wrongly assume that just because Pakatan performed well in the past, the same would occur in Bagan Pinang. It did not.

Contrastingly, consider BN. Why did Isa win? Simple. BN as, a cohesive unit, gave him the strong backing that he needed which endorsed national approval of his already well-grounded grassroots support that rallied to the forefront to support him based on a few reasons.

While Pakatan supporters condemned Isa's history, BN supported him in a united fashion.

2. Moral courage, moral values - quo vadis?

While it is good that the opposition front highlighted moral issues, how many are like Hussein Hamid to realise that many lack the moral courage to do what is right for the country? At the same time, how many abide by moral issues?

3. Moving on

I am no political strategist. Just a concerned Malaysian who has too much time on her hands and loves Malaysia. I strongly advocate that those who are in the thick of things when campaigning ought to come together and design a campaign strategy that could do the following:

- Plan a systematic and cogent media strategy - eg, how to refute claims and allegations of the status quo instead of sitting in silence and zeroing in on peripheral issues.

- Identify key issues and strategize as to how to communicate these in layman terms (eg, instead of telling them how much was lost in PKFZ, make it relevant to the populace by computing it in an estimated fall in our spending power or value of money).

- Avoid being personal but yet to highlight these in a manner that reinforces public opinion of the opposition instead of aiming to dent that of the status quo

- Identify areas of weakness within the Pakatan coalition and ensure that these are dealt with and reinforced with practical remedies before its public image suffers from collateral damage from the onslaught of expertly designed strategies of communications companies as engaged by the status quo.

4. Facing reality

During such crucial times, opposition supporters have to practise greater sensitivity in the manner in which campaigning is being carried out. The locals have to be engaged in the activities and made to realise that this is not about winning per se but about being the catalyst for change in that community and to let that message spread to the nation.

The component parties have to present themselves as a united front and not dillydally with trivial pursuits/campaigns (such as the ludicrous beer issue) in order to gain mileage and confidence in the eyes of the voters. Yup, the facts are staring at us point-blank.

We have soldiers fighting a losing battle because its generals do not know the correct ammunition and machinery to employ but are intent on attaining victory at the expense of the poor soldiers who are tired, weary, fed up, disillusioned and quite lost as to which direction to go.

Let me ask you this question. Do you think the opposition leaders and their supporters rightfully identified the malaise, indifference and alienated feelings of the voters and rightfully showed facts and figures as to how these issues can be resolved when they vote for Pakatan?

The Opposition leaders MUST effectively communicate issues and educate the rakyat as to how these issues of such magnitude can affect them and that they have the power at the ballot box to effect the much needed change. Basic bread and butter issues must be dealt with.

The opposition must make the people realise how issues of corruption affect each of the rakyat on a personal basis in terms of their spending power and value of money - in short, spell out the cost of corruption in meaningful terms.

Challenge the status quo to explain how the Singapore currency is of greater value than ours even though we have more resources and how all the pluses of our country ie, the resources should have put us at a comparative advantage in many areas but instead, heads are reeling at the negatives that we are facing today.

At the same time, the opposition has to deal with poverty and the rising costs of living. They must instil courage in the hearts of civil servants to spark the realisation that they will not lose their jobs if they do not work for the BN. If every single civil servant or a large majority were to vote against BN, how could they lose their jobs? This pure rational thinking should empower them to vote against the BN.

In simple terms, engage the rakyat in intelligent, rational, factual and persuasive debate to change public opinion to the advantage of the opposition and to the disadvantage of the status quo.

The battle is over. The paraphernalia of the by-election are on the ground, slowly being swept away by the workers. But more importantly, the remains of this lost battle remain. Is the opposition ready to take the necessary steps to ensure that mistakes are not repeated? This is but a small battle for the bigger one is yet to come - a snap election, perhaps.

And by then, if the opposition has not learnt their lessons and if they continue to remain in passive arrogance, then BN will be sailing the seas of victory, and this time it will not be because of any Isa, but because of the folly of Pakatan Rakyat leaders who prefer to rest on their laurels.