By Boo Su-Lyn
The Malaysian Insider
May 10, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 — Election 2013 was not simply a “Chinese tsunami” as it showed a major swing among the multiracial urban and middle-class electorate against Barisan Nasional (BN), independent pollster Merdeka Center said yesterday.
Sinar Harian Online reported Merdeka Center executive director Ibrahim Suffian today as saying that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s reading of the May 5 general election as a “Chinese tsunami” was inaccurate as urban Malays had also voted for Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
“There were differences between the low-income and the middle-income areas, as well as between the urban and rural areas,” Ibrahim was quoted as saying.
Analysts have noted that BN’s historic losses in Election 2013 were the result of a middle-class and urban exodus from the coalition that further widened the urban-rural rift in the country.
In their preliminary reading of the vote trend, analysts pointed out that despite the increase in Chinese support for PR, the political tsunami had also swept with it a large number of Malays who form part of the country’s middle- to upper-class electorate.
Ibrahim was also quoted as saying today that several constituencies had shown marginal BN victories that reflected a tight competition between BN and PR.
BN lost the popular vote for the first time since 1969 when it was then the Alliance.
BN also bled an additional seven federal seats to PR in Sunday’s polls. BN and PR won 133 and 89 federal seats respectively.
#1 by john on Friday, 10 May 2013 - 12:09 pm
Is not that C4 doesn’t know, he just has a hidden agenda to defend his position in Bumno later. What leadership quality when words from his horses’ mouth so unqualified, no basis according own whim and fancy. Clone of MaMak.
#2 by worldpress on Friday, 10 May 2013 - 12:17 pm
Govern by a bunch of crooks criminals and liars
#3 by Bunch of Suckers on Friday, 10 May 2013 - 1:08 pm
That’s the way it works for the BN/UMNO suckers! They have to find the way to blame as to save their cheating and losing faces!!! Therefore, they found and treated Chinese as scapegoats!!!!
In fact, all blames are not statistically correct without any concrete data to substantiate. How did they knew exactly if the Election data is strictly confidential without knowing what races voted on what parties! This shows that they even sucked up those EC suckers! Rakyat knows the EC is damn suck, too!!!! They are among those BN/UMNO suckers!!!
#4 by yhsiew on Friday, 10 May 2013 - 2:08 pm
Election 2013 was a tsunami created by the “well-informed” who had access to the new media for undistorted facts about the BN government and the country’s social and economic development.
#5 by sheriff singh on Friday, 10 May 2013 - 2:52 pm
It was most premature and now unfortunate that Najib had used the term ”Chinese tsunami” to describe how the voters turned against him and BN on elections night.
This term with its negative connotation has now stuck and will no doubt be used continually no matter what evidence is produced to rebut it.
It is like the DAP being branded as ‘racist’ and becomes stuck with this perception.
#6 by Bigjoe on Friday, 10 May 2013 - 3:43 pm
It seems the backlash has been so strong about Najib’s and Mahathir’s comment that they have stayed silent for a short time at least.
No matter what the facts and protests are, you can expect that Najib and Mahathir will sooner or later repeat this ‘Chinese tsunami’ phrase again. They just won’t do it often but they will still keep insisting on it. That is their nature never admitting wrong ever..
Because they will never admit it, they will frame their mindset and plans around it and never deal with the issue – their achilles heel. Already they are scheming to try and maintain fortress Sabah & Sarawak by giving them more power the latest second DPM from Sabah. if he Enemy is making in roads, better to fortify your flank that you have neglected..