From Saving Malaysia to Saving Zaid
P Kamalanathan secured about 25,000 votes. If the high estimate of election money promised for Hulu Selangor proves to be correct, it means that BN has spent close to RM60,000 for every winning vote. This is a staggering sum and should lead to all kinds of questions being raised.
Stephanie Sta Maria, Free Malaysia Today
PKR’s loss in the Hulu Selangor by-election has been attributed to the unofficial change in its slogan from “Saving Malaysia” to “Saving Zaid Ibrahim”.
Dr Sivamurugan Pandian, from Universiti Sains Malaysia, said it was clear from the start that Zaid’s image needed salvaging, hence (Kelantan Menteri Besar) Tok Guru Nik Aziz’s presence there at the eleventh hour.
“Zaid suffered severe character assassination,” he said. “And Pakatan Rakyat was forced to divert its attention to carrying out damage control very early into the campaign.”
Sivamurugan, who visited Hulu Selangor during the campaigning, also noted that the Pakatan machinery was nowhere near as strong as it was during the Permatang Pauh and Bukit Gantang by-elections.
“One reason could be that Zaid was Anwar Ibrahim’s choice and not that of PKR,” he speculated. “Another reason could be Zaid’s history with the PAS government in Kelantan. If Zaid truly had PAS’ support, (PAS president) Hadi (Awang) and his team would have been campaigning in full force and Tok Guru’s presence would have been unnecessary.”
Political analyst James Wong, meanwhile, named two losers in the by-election: PKR and MCA. According to him, the poor Chinese support for BN is a clear indication of their unhappiness with the new MCA president, Dr Chua Soi Lek.
“BN should view this as a serious wake-up call,” he warned. “As for PKR, it needs to understand that there is a difference between Malay and Chinese political culture in terms of a candidate’s roots.”
“The Chinese can accept an outsider but the Malays, especially the Felda settlers, are staunch in their preference for a local. A Kelantanese in Hulu Selangor is too much for them.”
