In my opinion Malaysia Dreamer ( [#1]BA has a long way to go[/#] , Dec 1) is absolutely correct that the Chinese swing to Barisan Alternatif in Lunas cannot be taken as a trend. Come next election, they are almost certain to swing back to Barisan Nasional and they will swing back because BN will use the very issues of race and religion that they are now accusing the opposition of.

BN while crying plaintively over the opposition's use of race and religious issues in Lunas is itself the unquestioned master in playing the race and religion card. They are powerful emotional weapons which have kept them in power since independence.

Come next election BN will again be whipping up Chinese fear of Islamic PAS to a frenzy. Malays will be instigated with the irrational fear of losing their special privileges should BN loses. Chinese will be threatened with the unwarranted fear of losing their culture if they do not return BN to power. To round it off the tired incident of May 13 will once again be raised from the distant past (non-seditious during elections) to frighten the races with fears of racial riots should the opposition win.

The opposition's ability to counter BN's immoral strategy is blunted by the ruling party's stranglehold on the mass media. It is a shame that more than four decades after independence BN still has to rely on the dangerous game of stoking racial and religious fears in a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society to cling on to power rather than fighting on real issues. It is only due to the strong harmony between the races that such desperate measures do not explode into uncontrollable tragedy.

Is it any wonder that the whole political structure of BN hinge on race-based parties whose raison d'tre is to make race-based demands? Racial politics is the bread and butter of BN which is why the PPP which is a multi-ethnic party face a very bleak future in the coalition.

Chinese voters are especially susceptible to such tactics while Malay voters appear to be more politically matured and astute. To be sure the Election Commission will now try to create as many mixed areas as possible as the BN's ability to win in a Malay majority area is no longer assured.

With the Indians too few to matter, the Chinese will again have to play the role of swing voters and king maker.

Unfortunately there are too many among the Chinese electorate who are willing to stomach any amount of corruption, abuse and racial bigotry by BN for the sake of maintaining the status quo. They will be content to count their blessings in the face of abject discrimination while never giving the opposition a chance.

However, I see a few rays of hope. The voting population is getting more educated and critical with the influx of new and young voters every year. They may be expected to be more critical and judgmental rather than blindly falling into BN's race and religion trap. As the years pass, the trend towards a freer flow of information will work in the opposition's favour. The reality which stood out in Lunas of the majority of new voters siding BA can be reasonably expected to be carried forward to the next general election.

Furthermore the lack of real concessions to the Chinese after their crucial support in returning BN to power in 1999 will work against BN. Thanks to the deep-rooted racial bigotry of BN and the subservient role of MCA, this is expected to hold true up to the next general elections. Perhaps Mahathir will lend a hand by continuing to label Chinese as extremists, communists and ingrates for making reasonable demands.

BA would find it wise to change their campaign focus from winning the elections to denying BN a two-thirds majority in parliament. When the stakes are high people tend to stay with the devil they know. The thrust should be on electing in a real parliament which provides checks and balances on the government rather than the rubber stamp parliament we have now.

But the critical factor in wooing Chinese votes will depend on whether PAS can project a more moderate image. PAS has certainly done all it can during the last election to sabotage BA's chances by its rigid stand on an Islamic State and hudud laws.

If PAS can make itself acceptable to the Chinese then BN will have a tough fight on its hands in 2004. The question will not be whether BN can retain its two-thirds majority but whether it can win a simple majority in parliament.