Race card proves dicey
Malay rhetoric from Umno scared away Chinese votes
By Carolyn Hong, The Straits Times
AS THE dust settles on Malaysia's eighth by-election – predictably won by the opposition Pakatan Rakyat – it's become apparent that the prevailing trend has prevailed again.
The Permatang Pasir by-election in Penang was won decisively on Tuesday by Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), making it a clean sweep of seven by-election wins in Peninsular Malaysia for the opposition alliance since last year's general election. A by-election in Sarawak was won by Barisan Nasional.
PAS candidate Mohd Salleh Man, 52, defeated United Malays National Organisation's (Umno's) Mr Rohaizat Othman, 38, in Permatang Pasir, where the seat fell vacant after the incumbent, a PAS assemblyman, died of a heart attack last month.
An analysis of the voting results indicated again that race or religious rhetoric is a dicey strategy for electoral success.
Analyst Ibrahim Suffian, whose Merdeka Centre does independent polling, said studies have shown that such rhetoric may swing a small percentage of Malay voters, but alienate a far larger number of non-Malay voters.
'It does not help to win substantial Malay votes, but it repels others,' he said.
The Permatang Pasir by-election reflected this. Of the 20,000 voters, 72 per cent are Malays, 26 per cent Chinese, almost 2 per cent Indians, and the rest are classified as others.
The PAS candidate took 65 per cent of the total votes, just slightly lower than the 66 per cent in last year's general election. A look at the racial breakdown showed that PAS' share of Malay votes fell by 3 percentage points, but its Chinese support rose by 6 percentage points.
Political analyst Ong Kian Ming said PAS' Malay support fell from 65 to 62 per cent, but its share of Chinese votes went up from 71 to 77 per cent.
Analysts agree that the ratcheting up of Malay rhetoric had sent the Chinese votes fleeing from Umno. In recent weeks, the Umno-linked Utusan Malaysia newspaper had repeatedly called on the Malays to rise up as they were losing political power.
