With the 88% Malay voters in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election in a very tight contest, the 8,787 Chinese voters representing 11.4% of the Kuala Terengganu electorate have emerged as the “kingmakers” in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election on January 17, 2009.
They will decide which candidate wins the Kuala Terengganu by-election.
Last night after the morning nomination, I attended a 10,000-peope mammoth PAS ceramah at Astaka, Tanjong as well as a close-to-a-thousand-people dinner ceramah organized by Kuala Terengganu DAP within 24 hours.
Mammoth PAS ceramahs are not unusual in Terengganu but what was unprecedented and most encouraging was the very enthusiastic support at the dinner ceramah, not only by the some 500 people at the dinner but also by the 300-400 people who stood outside the restaurant to follow the four hours of speeches.
Was this a sign that the Chinese in Kuala Terengganu have woken up and are standing up, not only for their rights as voters in the state but as citizens of Malaysia?
I was told that the Chinese voter support in Kuala Terengganu leaned 60 to 40 in favour of the PAS and Pakatan Rakyat candidate, Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut as against the Umno and Barisan Nasional candidate Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh.
But I learnt that these were also the odds at the start of the general election in March last year with the PAS candidate Mohd Sabu taking an early lead against his opponent Razali Ismail immediately after nomination – but the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary race in the last general election ended in 60-to-40 in favour of the Umno candidate among the Chinese voters.
As I told the dinner ceramah last night, the Chinese voters of Kuala Terengganu must not allow a repeat of the last general election outcome, with the favourable odds of 60 – 40 Chinese voter support for Mohd Sabu at the beginning of the election campaign turned around to 40-60 on polling day.
Instead, the Kuala Terengganu Chinese voters should ensure that their support for the PAS and Pakatan Rakyat candidate is increased to 70-30 by polling day on January 17 to seal their role as the “king-makers” in the by-election.
The January 17 by-election is an unique opportunity for the 80,229 voters of Kuala Terengganu to write history for they will be voting not just who should be their MP as their votes will have with greater import and more far-reaching consequences.
They should use their votes on January 17 not just to speak for themselves but for 27 million Malaysaians for political change and national renewal.
If they vote and elect the PAS and Pakatan Rakyat candidate to be the MP for Kuala Terenganu, they will be launching a second wave of political tsunami after the March 8 general election last year – sending out the clear and unmistakable message that Malaysians are prepared to transform the national political landscape even with a change of the federal government in the next general election.
This will make the role of the 8,787 Chinese voters even more significant – not just as the “kingmakers” of who is to win the Kuala Terengganu by-election but to spearhead a historic mission to trigger a new political tsunami to bring about far-reaching political, economic, educational, social and nation-building reforms after more than half-a-century of nationhood.
The January 17 Kuala Terengganu by-election is thus a historic mission for the 80,229 voters as well as for the 8,787 Chinese voters!
#1 by undergrad2 on Thursday, 8 January 2009 - 7:13 pm
Unless they invent a way to grow the human tongue back fast, should we expect to see a lot of dumb boys and girls walking our streets after school?? :)
#2 by undergrad2 on Thursday, 8 January 2009 - 7:19 pm
If that’s going to be the case then it is not untimely that we re-assess the country’s education policy. I don’t think I want to send my kids to school and see them ending up dumb.
#3 by limkamput on Thursday, 8 January 2009 - 9:11 pm
Kit talked about Chinese in KT being kingmakers. What “kingmakers” role are we talking about when the final outcome is either UMNO or PAS. What is the difference between race supremacists UMNO and holier than thou supremacists PAS? I don’t think we are kingmakers. We are grave diggers, both ways.
#4 by undergrad2 on Thursday, 8 January 2009 - 9:15 pm
Hold your tongue, Limkaput!
#5 by ktteokt on Friday, 9 January 2009 - 7:26 pm
I thought Najib already said BN does not need Chinese votes to wind during the 308 General Elections? So he is going back on his words? Such fickle-minded PM in waiting!!!
#6 by juannie on Sunday, 11 January 2009 - 3:44 pm
YB,
If Karpal Singh wants to fall into the trap to discuss Hudud Law it is his problem and should not draw others into the trap he has fallen into. What is the use to discuss Hudud Law when he is unlikely to live to see it implemented.
Let those who are young enough to make decision to decide. Do not spoil their chances of forming the next government. I am not trying to be sarcastic, but just ask ourselves,
1)How many Karpal Singh, Ranjit Singh and Rattan Singh are there now without turbans and do not carry the swords. Are we to say they are no longer of the religion which is believed by those with turbans and carry swords. So we see a religious practice can change. The Karpal Singh has also changed, so why can’t Hudud Law change?
Can we say that those who practise yoga are Hindus? This cannot be true, as many Christians, Muslims, Buddhist and Taoist are practicing Yoga and nobody wants to discuss Hinduism in this manner. So who say Yoga is only for the Hindus?
2)Another example is Tai-Chi, if we see Tai Chi in its present form, the Chen founders and the Shaolin Masters would cry and object to the manner the art is debased. It is the highest form of Martial art and now it is just a lady’s exercise for everyone and not part of Taoism or Buddhism. Why? It is because the people have changed the art and the practice.
So Hudud Law can also change with the passage of time. It may come to a point when it is only symbolic when all the citizens of this country of different races and religion can accept it.
What form and manner it is to be evolved and how it can be adapted to the Constitution is for the future young generation to accept and not by those who have passed their prime time in life.
3)I always said China is a good example for all the leaders in the world to follow. China is a Communists Country. Rightly the Christian, the Muslims and the Hindu would have nothing to do with China. Karl Marx says religion is the opium of the masses. But look now, all the countries in the world are eagerly and willingly to do the business and have cultural contacts with China. Why are they doing so, when China is a communist country. We cannot say that it is not a Communist Country or else the Portrait of Mao Tse Tung would be taken down immediately. The Chinese dare not say they are not communist but we all know that they are capitalist.
4)We say this is symbolic. We accept a concept that is good, but, be practical in the way we want to do things and China has shown the example. They have accepted Adams Smith (the Wealth of Nation), so we hope that the dogmatic attitude of Karpal Singh should not affect the future generation and please phase away gently, for the good of those who are working to establish a new era , free from corruption, inefficiency and inequality. Let there be democracy, let each party advocate what is best and let the people decide what is good.
“ The Gift of Truth excels all other Gifts”- Buddha.