analysis

If there is any consolation for Keadilan's sound thrashing in the Indera Kayangan by-election, it is that the party picked up more Chinese Malaysian votes this time around compared to the1999 general elections.

According to party Youth executive committee member Diong Chi Tzuoh, the number of Chinese Malaysians who voted for Keadilan in yesterday's by-election in Perlis increased by about 30 percent, from 152 votes to 620.

"We are definitely motivated to work harder the next time around," said Diong, who was in-charge of the party's campaign in Chinese areas.

"In yesterday's poll, the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition managed to retain the state seat by a bigger majority of 2,592.

The victorious MCA candidate, Oui Ah Lan, garnered 4,279 votes compared to 1,687 for Keadilan's Khoo Yang Chong.

In the general elections three years ago, incumbent state assembly representative Khor Choo Liang - who left the seat vacant last month following his death - defeated Keadilan's Ko Chu Liang by 1,974 votes.

Diong said the increase in Chinese votes also meant that the Taliban or Islamic extremism issue propagated by the ruling government did not have wide impact on the community.

Dangerous sign

Nevertheless, Diong conceded that poor Malay support contributed largely to Keadilan's loss and this was a "dangerous sign".

"We don't have well-organised party machinery in Kangar," said Diong, who is Keadilan's community relations secretary.

Keadilan had rely on PAS in past campaigns in Perlis. The party has failed to made inroads into several Malay areas in Indera Kayangan, a BN stronghold for the past 30 years.

Meanwhile, party supreme council member Ng Lum Yong attributed Keadilan's failure in the by-election to the its deteriorating image in the eyes of Malaysians.

Aside from criticising the party's propaganda machinery, Ng questioned the effectiveness of Keadilan's campaign strategies.

"We have to discuss whether using Anwar Ibrahim as the symbol of human rights violation and the basis for Keadilan's struggle is effective for the party," he told malaysiakini .

Former deputy premier Anwar, who is currently serving a 15-year jail sentence for sodomy and corruption, was instrumental in establishing Keadilan after his expulsion from Umno in 1998. The party is now headed by his wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

According to Ng, the Chinese community did not respond well to Anwar's plight as MCA has successfully propagated that the ex-deputy premier was responsible for the worsening state of Chinese education when he was education minister in the 1980s.

Better strategies

After a series of defeats in several by-elections following its astounding victory in Lunas, where Keadilan defeated BN by a tissue-thin majority of 503 votes, party members were in agreement that it is time for the three-year-old party to "learn from its mistakes".

Since the 1999 general elections where Keadilan picked up five parliamentary seats, the party has failed miserably in by-election campaigns in Teluk Kemang (Negeri Sembilan), Likas (Sabah) and the recent Sarawak state elections.

According to Lee Sang, who went to Kangar to help the Keadilan campaign, the party has to develop stronger strategies to counter the BN's propaganda campaign and election machinery.

Lee is a central executive committee member of PRM, a coalition partner of Keadilan.

"Violence, vote-buying, anti-opposition propaganda is expected. It is time to think of how to overcome them," Lee told malaysiakini .

"BN has also introduced several new strategies such as Puteri Umno and the foster-family programme," he added.

Lee said the Indera Kayangan by-election has given Keadilan the opportunity to make inroads into Perlis, especially in MCA strongholds, as indicated by the increase in Chinese votes.

Issues such as mother-tongue education and the takeover of two major Chinese dailies - Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press - by MCA were, however, not very well understood by the local people, said Lee.

"The blackout of these issues in the media contributed to the people's ignorance," he said.

"Moreover, the campaigning period was too short. It is impossible to translate knowledge (of issues) into votes within days," he added.

As for the man spearheading the party's campaign, Keadilan's vice-president and campaign director Azmin Ali ( photo ), he remained undaunted after the humiliating defeat.

"We have not lost. We have only postponed our victory. The fight must go on."