I refer to the Malaysiakini report Lo and behold the 'goodies' .

I am in disbelief that the PKR can turn on the voters in the just concluded Bagan Pinang by- elections and accuse them of many things among them that they bribed by the promise of ‘goodies’.

I cannot figure out the rationale for such behavior. I believe a statement that the people have chosen and we will help monitor the new representative would have been a better statement.

Well, since the last general elections and after winning so many seats and five state governments, I guess the chants ‘reformasi’, ‘time for change’, ‘no more ISA’ and all those things were really not the reason why voters voted PKR. They only wanted to punish BN and that they did.

So can we say that the ‘punish BN’ situation did it or the ‘Vote for change’, as the slogan goes, did it on March 8? Generally, the public votes for a government on what they can do to assist in their lives such as in taxes, help for the poor, yes, ‘goodies’ too and many other tangible items.

Anyone thinking otherwise must and will have to re-think their position. Take Bagan Pinang, for instance. Should say, PKR have won, what would the voters there have got? Generally nothing. Life goes on as before and their poverty-stricken positions goes on too.

But now, well now, hope is in the air and rightly so as the voters wanted change. This change was for the betterment of lives, their kids and so on.

PKR has to re-stratergise and believe that voters eventually will look at bread and butter issues, and then only do their voting. Any other issue such as freedom of speech (not that they are under siege), th ISA (never touched their lives), Change (for what? Tell me what is better) and so on will not hold water.

Look at Perak, everything is forgotten except that the supporters of PKR are still making noise whenever they can and this plays into BN's hands. Most of the state representatives have neglected their jobs, are busy protesting and not cooperating.

The people can see this and believe me, they will remember and will not vote for revenge but with more need to be practical. Many will disagree, but those who do are generally supporters or BN-haters and this group is not large enough to make it count.

The momentum of the first six by-elections will wane and issues like Perak and so on will be on the back-burner while the constant need to ignite it form time to time will not count or be transmitted into votes.

The one clear thing is the introduction of ‘hate’ and at Bagan Pinang this was transferred into the need for violence which is one thing that the people who are not PKR supporters, but voters, will not appreciate.

At Bagan Pinang there was trouble, small but seen and this was when the favorites were BN. The way of the street protestors is not the way in Malaysia.

I am also sad that the Teoh Beng Hock inquiry has fizzled out and the impending royal commission for it may be forgotten. We have to focus that it is not Teoh but the need to curb excesses in government that is on trial.

It was working but we now notice that the opposition moves from one subject to another with simple ease that so much so , the people wonder what the issues really are. Ask Teoh's family what they think now. I believe you will get a different answer.

The solution? Stop fighting for one man's crusade to take over power. Concentrate on bringing the people together, stop the infighting and create a very real alliance of the three main parties and govern your states with clear and visible policies.

This should not include showing the people who already voted you in what the previous governments did. It will backfire, as a story is only has a certain life span. At one time Akademi Fantasia was the greatest thing since sliced bread, however but tell me where they are now.

Politics is very similar; people forget, new things happen and lastly, they will see the changes. They will then believe that their ‘punishment’ of BN has worked and now they will go back to BN as they believe their position is clear and they have a weapon.