PR will fall short in race to Putrajaya
Fifteen hours before the polling stations open tomorrow, May 5, it’s no longer neck-and-neck between Pakatan Rakyat and Umno/BN for a photofinish.
Joe Fernandez
Fifteen hours before the polling stations open tomorrow, May 5, it’s no longer neck-and-neck between Pakatan Rakyat and Umno/BN for a photofinish.
The alarm bells are ringing.
It looks like PR will fall short in the race to Putrajaya.
What “effect” Hindraf Malaysia Association (Himas) will have on the election results in Malaya remains to be seen.
However, the return of the two-thirds to Umno/BN as urged by Himas, is not possible without massive electoral fraud. The Hindraf factor alone is not enough for Umno/BN to regain the two-thirds majority. In that sense, the Hindraf-MOU may be the proverbial fig leaf to cover the two-thirds majority scam idea.
It’s 50:50 in Perak.
PR is on target in only half the seats it needs to capture in Johore.
It’s tough in Negri Sembilan.
In Sabah, Star/Usno will deny it some of the parliamentary seats it needs to get to Putrajaya.
Sabahans have definately decided not to split their anti-BN votes. Ironically, this is an idea promoted by Sapp which may end up with zero seats.
Sabahans will vote for the most winnable Opposition candidate.
For Parliament, the trend is to vote for PR except in Keningau where Jeffrey Kitingan is taking on his elder brother Joseph Pairin Kitingan and in Penampang where Bernard Dompok is defending his seat.
The Opposition can get 13 parliamentary seats including Labuan i.e. Star/Usno 5 (min 10 state) KDM/Suluk; Dap 3 (max 6 state) Chinese; and independents/PKR 4 (max 12 state) Suluk/other Muslim; and Pas 1 (max 3 state) Suluk/other Muslim.
The chances of PR getting 15 or 16 parliamentary seats in Sarawak remains to be seen.
At present, it can bank on only 9 Sarawak seats at the very maximum i.e. including the Bidayuh seat of Mas Gading where Star is also present and the Orang Ulu-dominated Baram where PKR has a clear shot at victory.
The fight is not over yet.
Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is best in the streets.
After May 5, when it’s clear that Umno/BN cannot be dethroned through the ballot box despite being in power 56 years, the Opposition will have to take to the streets, occupy Dataran Merdeka and demand the setting up of an Interim Government which will clean up the electoral rolls, purge the Govt sector of card-carrying hardcore Umno racists, and hold free and fair elections which will end Umno/BN rule.
If Umno/BN regains the two-thirds majority and attributes it to the Hindraf factor, no one will buy it.
Again, regaining the two-thirds would be evidence that the 13th GE was not free and fair, and that there was massive electoral fraud probably using, among others, the MyKads of Indians who, based on past records, do not turn out to vote.
Himas and Hindraf Makkal Sakthi chairman P. Waythamoorthy may have unknowingly fallen into an Umno/BN trap in their desperation to win, let alone get a two-thirds majority.
