COMMENT The fight for Hulu Selangor has begun. The candidate with the best ideas will win the rest of Malaysia but not necessarily in this parliamentary constituency. A rather mixed-seat, it has a Malay-majority with significant numbers of Chinese and Indian voters.

azlan There is also a small number of Orang Asli. Hulu Selangor represents the high-water mark of the 2008 political tsunami.

It will be an act that will be hard to repeat especially with the entire might of the BN now bearing down upon the PR with the number of "independent" candidates on the rise.

In politics everything is possible. But winning elections is a crucial ingredient to getting into power. For most of us, even contemplating standing for elections is something associated with madness.

One either has to be very committed to a particular ideology or sufficiently motivated by the trappings associated with being a member of parliament.

No matter how one sees it, standing for elections is usually associated with vanity. "I can do good", "I can be the voice of the people", "I can make a difference"; all sound very similar with "I want to get rich", "I want to be respected", "I want to be called a YB".

There is therefore good selfishness and bad selfishness. If the need to put our own welfare above others did not exist, the human race would still be in the primordial swamp. Human beings need the approval and adoration of their fellow beings.

In our age of "celebrity", even those without much talent and intelligence believe that he or she deserves their five seconds of fame.

In short, we must judge based on what the candidates represent rather than the candidates themselves.

Crucial decision

In Hulu Selangor, Malaysians must make a crucial decision. Those locals voting will be making a decision based on their local needs as much as national needs. It is their right to send to parliament someone who will speak for them and highlight their concerns.

If they have local issues concerning basic public amenities, they must hold the local government to account.

Unfortunately, they cannot do this as they, like us, do not have the "third vote". We cannot hire or fire our local government. Voters naturally turn to the local assemblymen to solve mundane daily problems turning the Aduns into social welfare officers.

No matter, both the BN and the Pakatan Rakyat are now expert swimmers in these muddy waters.

The person who wants to be elected here must play mother.

The rest of us must make a mental decision between two political factions. Whatever the mainstream media say, the reality is that Pakatan and the BN will go head to head come the next general elections.

If Pakatan is said to be brittle, the actions of the MIC over the last few days exposed the same brittle nature of the BN.

Moreover, the MCA is still struggling to find its feet again after being split into "three kingdoms" after bruising last party elections.

Umno itself is not sure how to reconcile its Malay first agenda with ‘1Malaysia'.

Maybe the matter is settled in the minds of the PM but the DPM has a long way to go.

Darling of urban Malaysians

The PKR Hulu Selangor candidate needs no introduction. Zaid Ibrahim is the darling of urban Malaysians.

He is the type of Malay leader most want to see walk in the corridors of power. Successful, urbane and educated, he was what Information Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim used to be in the 1980s. Rais is an avid photographer and published a book providing an insider's view of the real "corridors of power".

selangor youth convention 200310 zaid ibrahim He was also a supporter of the "old Umno", the spirit of 1946. Zaid (left) is the author of two books, the latest titled I, too, am Malay; putting into print the same inclusive spirit of 1946.

History, they say, has a funny way of repeating itself.

The crux of the matter is that whomever the BN chooses to take the seat from the Pakatan must represent a particular ideology if they want to win the support of the rest of Malaysia.

An MIC candidate is the best signal to the inclusive nature of the BN except that the MIC itself refuses to change and wants to install a candiate that will perpetuate the status-quo.

But despite all this, if the Umno machinery works, the BN may still win Hulu Selangor although it may have lost a chance to win over more Malaysians.

Most say that the BN has already lost the war. A medical doctor friend of mine who works in Malacca felt that the votes that Pakatan got remains with them. He sees no reason why he should vote differently.

In fact, among his cohorts, people between 25-35, most are Pakatan supporters.

The same is true in Penang where the Pakatan is doing a rather good job despite what is said in the mainstream press.

In Perak, if the BN had any confidence at all, they would have gone back to the electorate to seek a fresh mandate. In Kelantan and Terengganu, Pakatan is also getting stronger. PAS members are very committed to Pakatan even if some of their leaders are not.

They can see for themselves the lost of moral dignity in the Perak power grab.

For PAS, a bigger say in Pakatan can only come about if they really do command the votes in the Malay heartland.

Does this mean the end of the BN? Not by a long short. So long as the Pakatan cannot make in-roads into Sabah and Sarawak, the BN can cling to power. In fact, it might be a good thing if power shifted across the South China Sea.

We have neglected Sabah and Sarawak for too long. Moreover, politics in East Malaysia is less coloured by ethnic and religious extremism. It might be a good balance for Malaysia as a whole if power really did shift over there.

The real point here is that in this last lap to the finishing line, both the Pakatan and the BN need to make clear their political message. Pakatan has held on together despite all sorts of threats, legal

shenanigans, brute force and financial incentives.

A new hope

The PKR may be the weakest link and it may yet lose a leader but if Zaid Ibrahim is elected, it will have new hope again.

Most can accept the likes of Zaid Ibrahim as a leader. Ironically, he is the embodiment of "1Malaysia": Malaysian first in the sense that he puts national interests above the narrow interests of politics, ethnicity and religion.

The BN's task is harder. The PM's philosophy is a good one.

"1Malaysia" plus the New Economic Model are big picture elements created to capture the hearts and minds of Malaysians. At the same time, the far right in Umno and their proxy Perkasa, continue to say the direct opposite.

It is always good to temper governmental policies with a strong dose of contrary ideas but at some point a decision will have to be made. The trouble for the BN is that it had more than half a century to deliver its many aspirations.

azlan With two years already up, and with the NEM only half complete, the fruits of implementation may not be tasted soon enough to convince Malaysians to return to the fold.

It takes a lot for human beings to choose change over the status quo. The BN must not forget that most Malaysians did not choose the opposition in 2008. Many lost faith especially after Abdullah Badawi failed to bring about promised reforms.

The PM made even greater promises about dismantling the rentier economy and creating a race-blind affirmative action programme. He even said that his job was on the line. All good but we need to see the goods delivered.

On the other hand, Pakatan must not take for granted that the trend will remain the same. They must prove that voting for the Pakatan has created positive change in our lives. This does not only mean better roads and sewerage systems but more participation in decision-making.

Pakatan must learn from the Perak debacle and its officer bearers should seriously consider improving their social skills. They only have to look to PAS, a party that has successful changed the minds of

a significant number of Malaysians because of the way they behave.

The fight for Hulu Selangor should yield the type of battle of ideas that give hope to Malaysians. Reward and pain can create immediate reactions but ultimately it is ideas that will win the next general elections.

Let's see what both sides have to offer.

 

NEIL KHOR has recently completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge. He is co-author of ‘Non-Sectarian Politics in Malaysia: The Case of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia’ (2008).