BN’s Maginot Line
From Kedah to Sarawak, these four by-elections have one significance. If BN loses all four, or most of the battles, a domino effect is well forming.
By TAY TIAN YAN/Translated by DOMINIC LOH/Sin Chew Daily
As if it is not enough, even Sarawak is now putting a leg in it.
Could it have been destiny? I have no idea. Perhaps BN's leaders should consult the feng shui masters what the Year of Ox has in bag for it.
If we include the Bukit Lanjan state assembly seat in Selangor, the upcoming four by-elections have their own significance, not unlike a mini general election.
The Bukit Selambau state seat in Kedah is a predominatly rural mixed constituency with Malay and non-Malay voters making up approximately half of the electorate. Bukit Gantang in Perak is a semi-rural Malay-dominated mixed constituency. Bukit Lanjan in Selangor, meanwhile, is an urban predominantly Chinese mixed constituency.
Batang Ai in Sarawak is an inland Dayak constituency. Although there are fewer than 10,000 voters in Batang Ai, this constituency carries enough weight to create phenomenal changes.
BN's fortress lies across the South China Sea, and while a storm may be fermenting in East Malaysia, Batang Ai could as well be the catalyst.
From the northern part to the central part of peninsular Malaysia, and across the South China Sea to the tiny inland constituency in Sarawak, this battle front forms the Maginot Line for Barisan Nasional.
Prior to the second world war, France built the world famous Maginot Line aimed at checking the advances of German troops. The French government was well aware that this was going to be the lifeline of national defence, and the survival of the republic was very much tied to the integrity of this defence line.
However, this defence line finally gave in to the advancing German troops, forcing the French to retreat in all the subsequent battles, eventually leading to the downfall of the country.
From Kedah to Sarawak, these four by-elections have one significance. If BN loses all four, or most of the battles, a domino effect is well forming.
The consequence: the public will turn away from the ruling coalition for Pakatan Rakyat. Besides, the morale within BN will also be crushed, and the rift among its component parties widening.
But will things really happen this way?
Judging from the prevailing atmosphere now, indeed things don't seem to work in BN's favour. There are plenty of dissatisfaction among the people. This, coupled with BN's sluggish pace of reform, will very likely develop into some kind of massive tidal wave.
UMNO is too preoccupied with taking over the Perak state administration, while its leaders engrossed with party elections–not much time to bother about what the public feel.
Such shortsighted and short-term manoeuvres have their shares of lapses and oversights.
Perhaps, this is what we call "destiny," which could never be exempted nor evaded.
