In the past week since the election
date was announced, I have taken part in numerous rallies held by the Pakatan
Rakyat political parties in Perak.
During these ceramahs attended by
thousands of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Orang Asli and other supporters of the
opposition in the large and small towns, and at the grassroots level, I had the
opportunity to watch at close quarters and to see for myself the response of ordinary
Malaysians who are throwing themselves into the political battle, many for the
first time in their life.
I can honestly say that of the
elections which I have participated in or observed since 1957, I cannot recall
any election that has stirred up so much energy and excitement among opposition
supporters and the fence sitters attending these rallies.
Based on crowd behaviour and
conduct, it seems to me that there is something extraordinary that is taking
place in the Malaysian electorate. This is the building up of a strong
multiracial unity and solidarity amongst ordinary Malaysians attending these
rallies or viewing them through YouTube and other media channels.
What Malaysian voters
want
Malaysians
want not only regime change and to throw out the crooks and cronies who have
been in power and looted our national treasury for so many years but they also
want a change in the disastrous way in which Barisan Nasional has messed up our
race and religious relations. These relations have sunk to their lowest level
ever, according to most observers.
This transformation in the Malaysian
collective mindset is visible in several ways. It can be seen in the way in
which the Pakatan’s message of trust and faith in the ability of ordinary
Malaysians to rise above racial and religious differences is resonating with
audiences.
Equally moving is the fervour and
cheers from all sections of the crowd when the Pakatan speakers – including PAS
– call for the rejection of racial and religious extremism. This is such a
contrast to the BN’s inclusion of notorious racial and religious extremists
such as Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin in their slate of candidates; and Dr Mahathir
Mohamad’s insistence that Umno is better off with the support of Perkasa and
other extremist elements.
In rally after rally I attended, the
solidarity and unity of the multiracial audience, and the enthusiasm and
passion with which they are echoing the need for change in the country is truly
a sight to behold. It is so different from the triple cocktail offered by the
BN emphasizing racial and religious differences of the PR parties and seeking
to instill fear and insecurity amongst voters should they vote for the
opposition.
BN’s dirty tactics on
hudud and fear
It is not surprising that the
dominant message – beside the portraits of Prime Minister Najib and the local
candidate – in the sea of BN buntings and posters that have sprung up in their
millions all over the country is “kestabilan”. This is a crude threat aiming to
strike fear in voters that all hell will break loose should they vote in the
opposition.
Besides fear, the two other key BN
messages playing on race and religion are visible in the way in which the
government supportive media, especially Utusan Malaysia, The Star
and the New Straits Times, have been playing up the hudud issue. Some of
the dirtiest political front pages are now appearing in The Star which
has repeatedly focused on the hudud issue and election violence to frighten and
coerce its primarily non-Malay readers to voting to vote against Pakatan.
Can the BN’s triple cocktail work
again in this election as it has in the past? I do not think so.
One factor is the recognition that
PAS has treated minorities and non-Muslims more fairly than Umno.
Kelantan Chinese Assembly Hall
chairman Oie Poh Choon has this to share: “Once, I attended an official event
where (Kelantan Menteri Besar) Nik Aziz was the guest of honour. The attendees
included mostly Malays, Chinese and 10 Thai monks.
The Thai monks started to recite
Buddhist chants after having the meals. Not only did Nik Aziz not stop them, he
even asked for microphones ro be provided for them, and sat through the
sessions, in full view of 1,000-plus Muslims. He has a favourite phrase: 'If
PAS has ever forced anyone to convert to Islam, please show me the
proof’".
Contrary to the mainstream media’s
demonization of PAS, Kelantan’s other religions get equal treatment. Among PAS
supported religious sites are a 450-year old temple which has a 108 feet Guan
Yin statue and a Buddhist temple which houses a 100-feet sleeping Buddha
statue.
Some of these temples are even built
on Malay reserve land, and churches and temples are not subjected to the
ridiculous policy restriction of not having buildings taller than mosques as in
west coast states.
Freeing Malaysia of BN
demons
It is clear that the hudud issue is
simply a scare tactic and there is no way hudud law can be passed in Parliament
as it will require a two thirds majority as pointed out by Dr Mahathir Mohamad
himself recently.
Moreover, I am sure that the younger
and better educated PAS members – many of them professionals and more secular –
will themselves reject a medieval system which is out of touch with modern
legal philosophy and practice.
For me personally, when I see young
and old Malaysians of different ethnic groups in the opposition rallies urging
on the speakers and applauding their condemnation of the politics of fear and
racial and religious baiting, it is truly a heart lifting experience and the
strongest evidence that hudud law will never be legislated in our country.
I look forward to the morning of 6
May when I see the rejection of the BN’s triple poisonous cocktail and the
arrival of a new dawn in Malaysia.
And drawing from Dr. Martin Luther
King’s “I have a dream” speech, I am sure many Malaysians will join in saying:
“Freedom must ring from every mountain side…. And when that happens we will be
able to go out and sing a new song: ‘Free at last, free at last, great God
almighty, I’m free at last’
