Kit Siang: Don’t expect easy win in next polls
(Malaysian Mirror) – The defeat at the hands of the Barisan Nasional in Bagan Pinang should be taken as cue that the Pakatan Rakyat cannot expect to win easily in the next general election, expected in 2013.
Giving this warning, veteran Opposition politician Lim Kit Siang said: “With the rout in Bagan Pinang, Pakatan Rakyat must go back to the drawing board and address the many issues bedeviling the coalition that had been swept under the carpet.
“This had aggravated public concerns about its unity, discipline, cohesion, viability and sustainability as the alternative to the Barisan for federal power in Putrajaya.”
Observe discipline and common sense
Writing in his blog, the DAP adviser and Ipoh Timor MP added: “For a start, Pakatan Rakyat leaders must stop being shy about the need to demonstrate discipline and common sense of purpose at all levels as well as have the courage to admit and to resolve any crisis of confidence undermining public support for the coalition.”
Former Negri Sembilan mentri besar Isa Abdul Samad had won Bagan Pinang on Sunday, giving the Barisan its second win in nine by-elections since last year’s March general polls.
The other seat won by coalition was Batang Ai in Sarawak. The Barisan did not contest in one seat, Penanti in Penang.
The other seats were all won by either the PKR or PAS, the parties that make up the tripartite Pakatan Rakyat alliance together with the DAP.
Isa polled 8,013 votes in the Bagan Pinang by-election, trouncing the PAS candidate Zulkefly Mohamad Omar by 5,435 votes.
Isa was bigger than the Barisan
Lim said Isa’s victory was not unexpected as, in the by-election, “Isa the candidate bulked larger than Barisan the party.”
“What was unexpected was Isa’s thumping majority sweeping all the eight voting streams,” he said, alleging that it was all the result of gross abuses of power, money politics and “the postal ballot chicanery.”
Meanwhile, PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar said that while the Barisan had won the battle for the Bagan Pinang state seat, it had lost the war on corruption.
A return of money politics in Umno?
He added that Barisan component Umno, which once rejected Isa over charges of money politics, is now set to return to its arrogant acceptance of graft.
“Isa’s win is not likely to renew investors’ confidence in the Government,” said Mahfuz, the Pokok Sena MP, said at a media conference at the PAS base in Teluk Kemang, near Port Dickson, Sunday.
“Rather, it is going to be another black spot in the country’s integrity,” he added.
Present at the press conference were Zulkefly, PAS by-election director Salehuddin Ayub and by-election operations director Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
