Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power

Sacrifice a little in order to gain mass victory. If you can’t beat UMNO, join them and play at their terms – racism.

By Don L.

Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power, Law 3 – Conceal Your Intentions: Smokescreens

Sun Tzu: Never engage an enemy on their terrain.

Pakatan Rakyat is at a disadvantage since they are fighting UMNO on their own terrain. A terrain that they are familiar with and strengthened for 50 over years. Events that have unfolded since March 2008 proves PR is fighting a losing battle with the multiracial concept – the general Malaysian voters are just not mature enough for this.

Most people are familiar with how in ancient China, a king outwitted another king during a horse racing competition. Race your worst horse against the other state’s best horse, your best horse against the other’s state’s middle horse, and your middle horse against their worst horse. The king won the overall competition 2-1. Moral of the story: sacrifice a little in order to gain mass victory.

“Give the crowd what they want to see. Win the crowd, and you will win your freedom” – cheesy line from the Gladiator movie, but hold on, read on further.

If you can’t beat UMNO, join them and play at their terms – racism. Pakatan must create the necessary devil smokescreens. PKR must cease to be seen as a party that fights for equality for all races. PKR & PAS has to be seen as parties that champion the Ketuanan Melayu concept that has been institutionalized in the Constitution. If the general Malays care so much about Ketuanan Melayu that they can forgive UMNO for all the corruption, cronyism, daylight robbery and so on that they have been practicing, then give the Malay crowd what they want to see – Ketuanan Melayu. It is just a smokescreen anyway to please the mob. And while PKR & PAS are acting out this Ketuanan Melayu fantasy that is desired by the general Malays, it does not mean that PKR & PAS have to label Indians as pendatangs; they just need to be neutral in their IMPLEMENTATION & ACTIONS to Malays, Indians and other races. PKR & PAS must not try too hard to win the hearts of the Chinese – this is not necessary and is a waste of resources.

The Chinese has shown in the Hulu Selangor & Sibu by-election that they are independent, silent voters with a mind of their own, fixated on two main issues. These two main issues are Chinese education and whether there will be enough money in their bank account so that they can ensure their children and their children’s children have a life that is financially better and more comfortable than theirs. Leave this smokescreen to DAP.

DAP has to champion and protect Chinese educational issues. Get publicity for lobbying for more funding for Chinese schools. MCA is already doing this and winning the hearts of some Chinese. DAP has to hit the bulls-eye by highlighting UMNO’s corruption, cronyism, and what not that has eroded the nation’s wealth – this is an issue that remains taboo to MCA as long as MCA is under UMNO.

There are so many examples around that if DAP were to focus on exploiting only one issue a month, they will not go out of good stories for many years to come. Tony Pua’s suggestion on the Rakyat purchasing the highways is a good example – but more concentrated publicity is desired. If this materializes, tolls will be abolished in 10 years’ time, leaving the majority of the Rakyat with billions of ringgit of disposable income – meaning more FDI flowing in.

The car APs is another issue. It never fails to amaze me how a brand new Camry 2.0 is selling for only RM50,000 in Japan while a CKD Camry 2.0 is selling for RM150,000 in Malaysia. What about Proton Gen2 being sold at RM60,000++ in Malaysia while it’s being advertised at only RM30,000++ only in Saudi Arabia? What about other issues such as monopoly of utilities and telecommunications. Malaysia’s handset and SMS charges are one of the highest in the region. Malaysia’s broadband speed (or slowness) is one of the worst in the region.

Hit on these two issues – Chinese education & monetary issues that affects the Chinese pocket and you will win the hearts of the Chinese crowd. The general Chinese crowd does not care about Ketuanan Melayu as long as it’s not being projected on a too serious racism note. The current government is already showing its true face in robbing the Rakyat’s money with their policies, it should be just like taking a stroll in the park for DAP to constantly remind the Chinese of the current government’s wrongdoing.

Now we come to the general Indians. This article is a goodwill strategy article for Pakatan Rakyat to win more votes. Apologies if Indian readers are offended. Indian votes are the smallest between Malay & Chinese votes, and generally Indian votes go to the party that is able to bribe them the most during election time. This statement is not meant to be racist, but is to reflect the true dire situation of the general Indians who are in such poor conditions that they are willing to ‘sell’ their votes to the highest bidder – the Hulu Selangor by-election has shown us this.

Our Borneo brothers & sisters – they have a love-hate relationship with Semenanjung Malaysia. Semenanjung needs Sabah & Sarawak to win the majority in the government while Sabah & Sarawak needs Semenanjung to be a whole nation. UMNO’s fortress is at Semenanjung. Robert Greene’s Law 42: Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter. When UMNO falls, it’s only a matter of time that their component parties in Borneo will fall too.

Focus on the Malays with Ketuanan Melayu smokescreen. Calm & reassure the Chinese with Chinese education and constantly projecting UMNO as daylight robbers. Be prepared to lose the Indian votes – they are collateral damage, a necessary loss so that Pakatan can win the majority of the votes and form the government. Once Pakatan forms the government, then they can implement policies that are beneficial for 1Malaysia. UMNO will fall and the weak BN component parties in Sabah & Sarawak will follow suit.

And then we can only pray that Pakatan will not be another UMNO.