Once a pushover, Pakatan sniffs power

Cala: After more than five decades of autocratic rule, the Umno-led BN regime appears incapable of change.

Premier Najib Abdul Razak, probably, on the surface, is the only person that cries for change, but below that, it's business as usual as in the last five decades.

Look, are not the Indians still mistreated as seen in the C Sugumaran case?

How many tenders are transparent where the best price wins? How much has improved among the three ethnic groups?

One thing is for sure, the silo system of the old governance structure will stay under Najib.

Also for sure, transaction costs in day-to-day business will be high to facilitate rent-seekers out to loot and plunder.

Kairos: At this stage of national survival, I suppose it is a matter of making the best of what we have.

The BN government is rotten to the core. For most right-thinking Malaysians especially in middle Malaysia, we have enough of corruption, cronyism and abuse of power, especially in the past 20 years.

At least for now, Pakatan has got clean leaders that can hopefully form some kind of  checks and balances to the new government if they come into power.

Yes, all of they may not be totally clean, but shades of grey are better than completely black.

I feel that we have to take our chances and hope for the best.

Wsoi: Anyone has gone through the kind of hardship like Anwar Ibrahim has will know what suffering, abuse of power, and money politics are about.

Free water for residents, free education up to university level, toll-free roads and cheaper electricity are some of Pakatan's initiatives that have sparked the imagination of the masses.

I don't need cash from government borrowings, I want good and effective policies to save this nation of ours.

Ohakimm: This GE13 is not about Anwar. It's about removing BN from leading this country. I believe that Malaysians are now ready and brave enough to make a change.

Anonymous #06659895: From my sales and business trips to Sabah and Sarawak after the 2008 GE, the voters there, especially those who are accessible by roads, accept Pakatan without much ado.

These people seem to have up-to-date news even though radio, television and the mainstream media blast government news.

Pakatan must work hard in the rural areas and the chances will be good for a new government. In short, Malaysians know where the country is heading under the BN.

Shanandoah: At the very most, Umno-BN will get about 100 parliamentary seats. MCA and MIC will be completely wiped out.

DAP will be the dominant party in Pakatan Rakyat though they may not have more seats than PKR. PAS will have to re-orientate itself in Pakatan to stay relevant.

Johor BN will lose the most number of seats followed by Perak. The winds of change are blowing fast and furious from across the Causeway. The Punggol East by-election has set the mood in Johor for change.

Freemsia: I do not want to be a negative. But with the various tricks up BN's sleeves, I doubt Pakatan can win the election. Denying two-thirds will be an accomplishment in itself as will be taking back Perak with a bigger majority.

Anonymous_3e86: Pakatan will only win if the election is fair. But with the Election Commission's help, BN will cheat to the extreme to stay in power.

Pakatan will have to capture a sizable majority of votes to overhaul the expected illegal votes from phantom voters as well as postal votes.

Seeker99: When you see somebody who does not look like Malaysian in the queue to vote, ask him or her to sing our national anthem and if they cannot even murmur a word, then pull them aside and expose their true identity and get the other legitimate Malaysians to assist. I am sure many will help.

Anonymous_4031: Where the present leaders cannot or would not grant justice and ensure that enforcement of the law will be swift and fair, the voters will look elsewhere for another leader who will change things for the better.

Drastic reforms must take place now, not in seven years as Najib has guaranteed Malaysian women.

Equal pay, rape cases, non-violence against women and girls, human trafficking, equal opportunities in education and jobs, etc, are old issues. Why were they not attended to years ago? Why now when the general election is drawing near?

It is too late in the day to appeal for women's votes.

Hmmmmmmmm: Don't you hate it when somebody keeps harping on doubts about Pakatan's ability to rule nationally?

When Umno first ruled Malaysia after the colonialists left, did anybody have the same doubts (apart from the colonialists)?

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