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A hollow victory for BN, a lesson for DAP

YOURSAY ‘The majority is less than spoilt votes, and BN has postal votes.’

 

Unofficial: Mah wins, majority 238 votes

 

Apa Nama: Malaysia still has long way to break the back of racial politics. It was an excellent and risky try by DAP, which they could have won if the voters turnout was more that 70 percent.

 

There is nothing to proud about the BN win since they poured a lot of money and their propaganda might have instill fear into certain voters, especially the older generation who would have likely swung their votes to Gerakan candidate Mah Siew Keong.

 

Anyway, congratulations to Mah. To DAP candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, do not give up. Please set up a DAP centre at Teluk Intan since you have 49 percent voters supporting you.

 

Rest assured that in GE 2017 or 2018, you will have a high chance to win this seat. Dyana, you and DAP has worked hard even the BN and MSM (mainstream media) hit you from all sides.

 

It was unfortunate that the older generation outnumbered younger ones who did not return in big numbers to swing the votes towards DAP.

 

Fairnessforall: This clearly tells us that the Chinese will only vote for a Chinese candidate. Sad but true.

 

Had DAP put a Chinese as the candidate, they would have won with a huge majority. The contest was not between DAP and BN, it was between a Malay and a Chinese.

 

It looks like we can never get away from this racist attitude.

 

Basically: With a majority less than spoilt votes, and BN's upper hand with postal votes, army votes and the Rela 'we'll have new uniforms' voters, it's a hollow victory for Mah.

 

But as experience will tell us, they don’t really care. Congrats to Dyana. For a newbie, it was a tremendous result and if it was a fair and properly run election, I wager she would have won.

 

Alex52: Indeed, Dyana, no regret, you still won. The low turnout and that you came from somewhere and not being a local, you still received very high support, with Mah winning just with a razor-thin margin.

 

Atilla: DAP lost simply because many voters had taken for granted of a DAP win and this caused a low voters turnout. Nevertheless, it was a marvelous fight put up by Dyana.

 

CQ Muar: Speechless, stunned. At the early stage, Dyana was leading by 2,000 over majority, only to watch the figure dwindle. Nevertheless, upon reflection, I reckon Dyana did extremely well for a newbie compared to that Umno running dog.

 

A slim figure of 238 - no big deal despite BN's hefty machinery and huge sums spent (at whose' expense?). Come GE14, there's no way Mah can out do Dyana, especially with a full voter turnout.

 

The scenario will then be an entirely different ball game altogether. Nil desperandum.

 

CiViC: For the first time unofficial results are spot on with official results. That only happens when BN wins. And how convenient for EC to revise the voters turnout figure after results announced. Anyway, we expected this to happen.

 

Sleepy: Even if it is a loss, it not devastating because Teluk Intan voters still have BN promises/pledges, including cabinet post, a university and broadband. All eyes will now be on BN and Mah.

 

Quigonbond: I guess the economy always has something to do with people's choice, and the little grants and infrastructure development that BN can bring to Teluk Intan would be tangibly useful to them.

 

In any event, they send a message that almost half of them are prepared to vote for a Malay candidate and DAP can take solace with this gesture.

 

Also, one extra MP makes no difference in the grand scheme of things so the voters might as well reap the economic rewards. This is possibly also punishment for PAS’ insistence on hudud.

 

The question now is will Mah and Gerakan be vocal within BN to turn the tide against failed education system, police recalcitrance, judicial malaise, confusion over syariah custody rights, corruption and abuse of power?

 

BN parties such as MCA will also attempt to claim that their checks and balance can be effective. We shall see.

 

Sakit Hati Ku: This is not the end of the world for Pakatan Rakyat. Mah, if you won it squarely and your conscience does not prick you, we say, "Congratulations!"

 

Let us not condemn those who voted BN, it’s their right. We will show Umno-BN what is true democracy. There is no need to engage in dirty tricks, and no need to instil fear into the electorates by playing racial and religious cards.

 

Let us not go down to their level. We lost but we shall kept our heads high. There is no shame in losing. You win some and you lose some.

 

Multi Racial: It is alright to lose, DAP and Dyana. It is better to lose now than to lose later. Learn from this loss and come back stronger.

 

There are people within DAP probably getting arrogant. Pakatan itself is to be blamed for bringing up the hudud law again.

DAP Perak is disunited, which is quite obvious, and they need to put country and party above their personal interest.

 

Remember the Ijok by-election in 2007 where Khalid Ibrahim lost? But he came back strongly in GE12. Not just that, the entire Pakatan came back stronger.

 

I hope Pakatan and DAP will learn from this loss. There is a saying - lose the contest but don't lose the lesson.

 

Emkay: From this by-election, it is clear that we need our young to deliver us from the clutches of BN.


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