'Did more Chinese vote for PAS this time compared to 2008? What Lim is saying runs counter to what Chua and the EC are saying.'
DAP: MCA unable to use Islam to scare Chinese
Darth Vader: I agree that MCA must do some soul-searching and answer some tough questions. Once it can honestly do that and manage to capture the Chinese votes again, that would be the end of Pakatan Rakyat and Anwar Ibrahim & Co can get ready for retirement.
Retnam: Who is telling the truth? Did more Chinese vote for PAS this time compared to 2008 or was it the other way round? What DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang is saying runs counter to what MCA chief Chua Soi Lek and the Election Commission are saying. Who can tell us the truth?
Anonymous_4056: God sent the rain to prove that all government machineries would combined to work and exploit the situation and work for a BN victory. BN with all its tricks and 1Malaysia will have no money left to fund a country-wide campaign and will be doomed to failure in the next general election.
Anonymous317_bd: Sudah kalah, sudah la! This is dirty politics, and has only been this crude since March 8, 2008. These are desperate times and antics from desperate people, and I do not mean BN.
Ask Nik Aziz Nik Mat what he said about people who do not vote PAS. Ask him what he meant, and he'll say he means Islamic state. He will do anything to achieve it.
Swipenter: As a non-Muslim, I ask myself why I should be afraid of Islamic values if such values are universal in nature. Values such as fairness, equality, tolerance and acceptance of diversity, transparency, accountability, freedom from fear, racism, discrimination, etc, are universal in nature.
Of course, if PAS only talks about and insist on their sense of self-righteousness, like you cannot practise yoga, wear lipsticks and high heels, that non-Muslims are ‘dhimmis' and their way of life is impure and inferior to Muslims, etc, then that is a totally different story altogether.
My religious teachings have many things in common with Islamic teachings, but the big difference is that we emphasise personal responsibility/self-restraint rather than outside enforcement.
For example, drinking of alcohol is a not a good thing but if you choose to drink then you must be aware of the consequences of alcohol consumption in addition to our civil laws on drunk driving and such.
Aku Melayu: This is typical of DAP's politics. Everything revolves around Chinese issues, even though they claim to be part of multiracial Pakatan. Even after losing, they still harp on who had won the Chinese votes. If DAP claims that the Chinese had given their votes to Pakatan, I suggest that DAP pool all their resources and go to Tenang/Labis and help out their supporters who are now in dire straits because of the floods.
Don't just sit in your comfortable chairs and brag about winning their votes but couldn't care less about their welfare.
Alan Goh: With all the government machineries at Umno's disposal and the free flow of taxpayers' money into Tenang, particularly the Felda areas, and another RM1.8 billion for the settlers, it is expected that the incumbent will win the election.
Pakatan, especially PAS, do not be discouraged, the Chinese voters are behind you all the way. It's better to vote for a clean PAS than for a corrupted Umno/BN.
As for Chua, just resign as president of MCA. With your tainted record, it is only the equally-tainted few Chinese that respect and support you.
Allanchee: Let MCA candidates stand in Chinese-majority areas in the next GE then we know who is supporting who, and if MCA is Chinese-backed or an Umno-backed party.
Muddy waters: Post-Tenang reflections
David Dass: To me, the outcome of the Tenang by-election was irrelevant. The key question is: how was the election fought and won?
Democracy and free elections are a relatively a new experience for us. Many in this country as Bridget Walsh points out, have no real knowledge of the issues raging in the urban centres. We all have an interest in entrenching democracy and free elections in the hearts and minds of the rakyat.
Other questions are: Were the police and other officials able to maintain their neutrality? Was money used as an incentive to obtain votes? Was race used to shore up support by the parties? To what extent were the issue of governance important?
Again as Walsh points out, the flooding of Johor is a governance issue. The people must see the failure of government in not managing a predictable problem and not be persuaded that it was an act of God.
There will be more elections. Our institutions, our processes and our people must measure up. We are not Tunisia. Or Egypt.
Changeagent: During the Queensland floods, people are sternly warned to stay off the water to prevent them from risking their own lives as well as that of the rescuers.
In Tenang, political parties across both divides encourage the constituents to risk their lives just to cast a ballot. Is it just me or are our political parties getting their priorities wrong? Is it worth winning a by-election at the cost of putting potential lives at risk?
Ong Taik Kheng: If the chances of winning had favoured Pakatan Rakyat, I am absolutely certain the Tenang by-election would have been postponed.
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