Bagan Pinang: cynical realism sets in
The outcome of the Bagan Pinang by election may have actually been decided a few days earlier. The decision announced on the 11th October was just a formality.
As far back as 5 days ago, the voters of Bagan Pinang had already made up their minds. Undisturbed in their homes, far from the maddening crowd, they were able to think through their choices. The intensive campaigns that were taking place in PD and Bagan Pinang were entertaining distractions up to a point. Yes, they went out occasionally to listen to blistering speeches and perhaps shared a few drinks with uncharacteristically friendly out- of-towners. The people milling around, busy-bodying around in PD are mostly outsiders. Locals were amused at first but later became disappointed with the antics of outsiders. They are unaccustomed to the charged atmosphere. The factor of outside help would probably register a low regression value if calculated.
Murugiah can say that he camped for 10 days in Indian hamlets in PD and claimed that he had worked very hard to regain the Indian votes. He is from PPP for which support from the Indian community is insignificant. He is doing all he can to stay on as deputy minister whereas his own party had disowned him. He is thinking of his interests which may be at odds with that of the BN's or UMNO's. Was his role better than the 1000 MIC members Samy Velu sent into the PD estates?
As to interests and vision making, thinking about these- long term objectives, strategies, vision making are regarded as the tasks of leaders. The decision making mind-frame of ordinary rakyats is more practical and down to earth. They think in short term mind spans. They think about bread and butter issues. Housing, amenities, schools, getting children's fees paid, places for study. They think of jobs and all those things that are of closer and of immediate concerns. We may come with fanciful and esoteric notions of two party systems, tenets of democracy and all that, in the end, these things which are admittedly important, are placed at the bottom of the totem pole of priorities. Unless these issues are sufficiently made part of their daily lives, they will remain detached issues.
Getting food on the table, having a house over their heads, improvements in their society, immediate gratification- these are placed higher in terms of priorities. The people in Sua Betong, Atherton or Bradwall estates find greater resonance with what the Makkal Sakthi movement is doing. Seeking an immediate relief to their wretched lives. Like Frantz Fanon wrote of the wretched, their participation in the universal and greater democratic movements in the world, takes place in the form of limped shouts of 'cracy..cracy'. What they needed most and matter most immediately are 'kasi, kasi. That's what Isa Samad had been doing the last 15-20 years when he was MB.
