For these voters, the big picture matters

Careful management of issues affecting the Chinese Malaysian community is needed to draw their support for Pakatan Rakyat back to Barisan Nasional, writes ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR

ANALYSTS continue to speculate; many Chinese politicians claim to know; yet others in Barisan Nasional are still at a loss as to why the Chinese vote for the ruling coalition in the just-concluded Hulu Selangor by-election fell so badly.

After all the inclusive measures implemented by the administration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the past year, what do Chinese Malaysians want that BN has overlooked?

Are the Chinese being too demanding, as right wing group Perkasa charges?

The fact is, the Chinese in general are still unhappy over perceived injustice, inequality and unfairness to their community. This is what drove Chinese voters to “teach BN a lesson” at the 2008 general election by voting for opposition candidates, resulting in humbling losses for BN.

“It’s at the ballot box where the Chinese feel they are equal,” says Rita Sim, the executive chairman of Sin Chew Media Corporation Bhd, “in the sense that they can exercise their rights as true Malaysians since their votes count the same as others.”

Sim also sees that the Chinese regard the DAP in Pakatan Rakyat as equal partners with Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Pas, raising hopes that the socialist party will fight harder for their rights than MCA or the other Chinese-based parties in BN.

What the Chinese want, says Prof James Chin of Monash University Malaysia, is equality. Third-generation Chinese feel they are Malaysians first and should not have to put up with constraints in business, employment opportunities and education.

A Gerakan leader from Penang has acknowledged that Penang Chinese look up to Lim Guan Eng as one of their own brave enough to fight for political, social and economic equality for the Chinese.

As it turned out, the Hulu Selangor by-election was another opportunity for the Chinese to vent their anger on the ruling coalition, as they had in other polls.

BN’s inability to win the hearts and minds of the Chinese helped Pakatan Rakyat candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim make inroads among the constituency’s 18,000 Chinese voters.

He is said to have scored points by continuing to speak out on issues considered important by the Chinese community, such as justice, fairness and human rights.

BN lost in all Chinese areas, obtaining less than one-third of the votes in Kampung Baru Rasa, where Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had promised RM3 million for new premises to replace the 80-year-old building of SRJK (C) Rasa for the benefit of the school’s 300-odd pupils.

Having won the by-election by a 1,725-vote majority, BN has since met that promise.

In his analysis of the Chinese vote in Hulu Selangor, analyst Dr Ong Kian Ming found that support for the BN had dropped to an unprecedented 18 per cent, half of the 36.7 per cent the coalition secured in the 2008 general election, and well below the 60-70 per cent of past support levels.

 

In Kampung Baru Rasa, where 95 per cent of the voters are Chinese, support for BN was just 17 per cent.

It was 22 per cent in Kampung Baru Kalumpang, which also comprises 95 per cent Chinese voters.

It can be safely concluded that Chinese voters do not vote based on funding and goodies distributed during election campaigns but keep their eye on the big picture — the community’s position and status as Malaysians and what lies ahead for their future generations.

What’s alarming is that even MCA members — there are some 8,000 of them in Hulu Selangor — did not vote for BN’s candidate. Although infighting could be a contributing factor, leading to half-hearted campaigning, political watchers believe this had more to do with members sharing similar sentiments with the majority in the community.

For Sim, it was obvious that although all Malaysians acknowledged that Najib had launched some good policies, trust in his leadership had yet to be translated into votes from the Chinese.

Had Najib stayed away from campaigning, however, the results could have been reversed. MCA and Gerakan leaders admit that Najib going to the ground had an effect, but not enough to cause a vote swing among the Chinese.

Suggestions that Chinese voters who did not support BN be “punished” are completely unwarranted. As Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin contends, politics is more than just votes; it’s also about “ideals, principles and doing what’s right”.

“I am sure that if we continue with a centrist course assisting all communities with justice and equality, perceptions will improve,” said the Rembau MP and BN Youth chief.

“I believe many who voted against us remain cynical and want to see us walk the talk before supporting the BN.”

Hulu Selangor Umno vice-chief Datuk Adnan Buyong does not think the 1Malaysia concept alone can win back Chinese support, and feels the MCA should adopt new approaches to the contentious issues affecting the Chinese community, without eroding the constitutional privileges accorded to the Malays.

BN’s post-mortem of the by-election should take note of the high political awareness among the Chinese, among whom roughly 90 per cent are registered voters as compared to the Malays at 75 per cent and the Indians at 68 per cent.

BN needs long-term achievements and performance to rebuild confidence of the Chinese community. — New Straits Times