Soul-searching time for Pakatan

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your say suara kami 'We have countless issues, yet none seems to have mattered to the rural folks. Why are they in total oblivion to what is going on?'

Why PAS lost the battle for Tenang

On your toes: It does not matter whether it is an increase in majority or reduced majority. Every election should be fought with the intention that there is a possibility of winning. Otherwise what is the point of participating? It does not matter it was raining heavily or there were floods. The point is if there was no rain, did Pakatan stand a chance to win?

Also the post-Tenang analysis should not have solely based on Malay and non-Malay (particularly Chinese) votes. What are Pakatan strategies to draw conservative Malay votes? It is pathetic to see PAS and PKR depending on DAP and Chinese votes in the campaign.

Where do Pakatan go from here? It is useless to say BN has better machinery, more money and better information dissemination system. We knew that already.

But are elections fought solely based on machinery? What are the issues facing Malaysia and those who are poor and oppressed? We have countless issues that BN is at the disadvantage and yet none seems to have mattered to the rural folks. Why are they in total oblivion to what is going on? How do we get these issues across to the rural voters, particularly the Malays?

Louisg: Get rid of racism, get rid of religious extremism, be compassionate to all races - judge people by the content of their character rather then by their religion or race. Reach out to the marginalised and rope in all NGOs.

Listen to them and let them contribute, then you will win. Make a deal with Hindraf for the Indian votes.

Mohd: Yes, PAS' Normala Sudirman is another quality candidate that Pakatan Rakyat has created from this by-election. For me, this is the most important outcome as this is for the long-term - moulding and putting forward quality and reliable candidates.

For a better Malaysia: Thanks to a strong opposition and a very impressive PAS candidate, the BN had to work very hard. The real winners are the people of Tenang. As long as the opposition is strong, the people will always get a better deal. Hopefully, BN will now address the worrying flood situation.

Black Mamba: Liberal, democratic, incorruptible PAS candidates are certainly finding themselves acceptable by the Chinese. But the moment they go on the rhetorical, ‘hudud' and Islamic state path, they can be sure the Chinese will leave them like they're a pack of rotten eggs.

Swipenter: Apart from the foul weather and flooding, Pakatan has to show more cohesion and unity from now onwards. Where has the mantra ‘One for all, All for One' gone to since March 8, 2008? PAS has been rearing its ugly self-righteous head once too often, PKR is bleeding profusely internally and DAP cannot/have not shed its 'Chineseness' image.

HRP (Human Rights Party), meanwhile, is and has been threatening not to cooperate with Pakatan if their demands are not met immediately, even if they are to be continuously marginalised under 1UmnoMalaysia. How can they choose that path? It is like cutting your nose to spite your face.

Those who want to see a change in Putrajaya have lost their plot and direction. At least Umno/BN on the surface has remained ‘united'. One wonders whether it is Pakatan or BN facing the prospect of self-implosion.

Arbeena: Ini orang kalau dah kalah, macam-macam alasan ada. Itu tak betul, ini tarak betul, BN tipulah, macam-macam ada. The wish of the Tenang voters must be respected, and they have voted for BN, this time.

617_dd: If the Chinese wanted to really vote, trust me, they would have swam to the polling stations. Stop consoling yourselves that if they had, it would be different. The other issue is that Tenang population is typical of a lot of constituencies in the country.

If you can't win them then you are not going to win many, as educated people who read the lies on the alternative media is very small.

Darth Vader: Let the ostriches hid their head in the sands and make the job easier for BN. If the Chinese like to stand under the hot sun, let them stand longer. Maybe that will knock some sense into them for supporting the fanatics with alleged links to international extremists.

Multi Racial: This election, although won by BN, shows many things. First, PAS and DAP can work well together. Second, there are many other moderate leaders in PAS besides Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin and several others. Third, BN is still the same old story. Fourth, the Election Commission is under the control of BN. Fifth, the entire government services are bias towards BN.

Pakatan should learn that while their message has penetrated well in urban areas, they did not get to the rural folks. Pakatan, particularly PAS and PKR, must get to the rural Malays who are still living their own cocoons. If they have already tried it, this suggests that they are not effective enough and they have to restrategise.

Alan Goh: Cikgu Mala Sudirman, do not be discouraged, for everything happened for a reason. PAS' battle for Malay votes is an uphill task, especially in Johor and its many Felda schemes.

Umno with its government machinery and mass media behind them, splurging taxpayers' money as though it belongs to their grandfathers, it never is a level-playing field in any by-election. Hopefully, the next by-election will be in the Klang valley... Port Klang, perhaps.

Anonymous_418f: The Tenang population can hardly be called well-informed via Utusan Malaysia , Berita Harian or Harian Metro . As for the Indians there, giving away goodies during election time alleviates their poverty but they do not realise that before the goat is slaughtered, it is enticed by bait. After 52 years, this is the sorry state of Indians here.

Kannan Msakti: As for the Indians votes in Tenang, we believe through our survey and lobbying in Tenang, the suburban Indians in Taman Tenang Jaya, Taman Wawasan, Taman Wira, Tenang Station and other small ‘taman' in the Labis town mostly supported PAS. Only three estates (North Labis/Kampung Datuk and Voules) backed BN.

The estates folks are far backward in terms of infrastructures and information, and they easily fall prey to BN. The ‘Interlok' issue is not known here. Some don't even know that MIC chief S Samy Vellu has stepped down. The continuous rain has worsen the situation as these daily-paid workers don't have any income for the past one week and they needed the goodies and money from BN.

Almost 20 percent of the Indians voters in Tenang are working outside the constituency, and the majority of them didn't come back for the by-election.

Sarajun Hoda: Two things is for certain. The world still works the same, the mighty rules. Presently, BN with its 3Ms is ‘the' might. Pakatan should accept this defeat as the result of their own internal kelam-kabut (disorganisation) and poorer feat.

Secondly, is Pakatan slipping back? The road to a two-party system is still long and winding. As long as Malaysians can be bought for kacang putih (peanuts), we will continue to be ruled by the cheats and the corrupt.

 


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