NEWS ANALYSIS BY THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER
November 06, 2013

One of the takeaways from the Sungai Limau by-election on Monday was that some of the Chinese votes went back to Barisan Nasional (BN) although it was not enough to capture the state seat.

Politicians and analysts also noted that most of the Chinese stayed away from the by-election, presumably because most did not return for the Monday vote as it would not affect the state or federal administration.

For the record, PAS’s Mohd Azam Abdul Samat polled 12,069 votes to BN’s Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim who got 10,985. There were 27,222 registered voters but turnout was only 85.5%.

For BN, the slight increase in Chinese votes is a lifeline for parties like MCA and Gerakan which descended to the state seat to prove their vigour after the major setback of Election 2013.

The Chinese electorate totalled 1,836 but very few turned out to vote despite the RM2.25 million allocated by BN to Chinese schools in the area. Ahmad Sohaimi lamented he only received some 600 votes from the Chinese.

But it also suggested that the anger and angst non-Malay voters in Kedah had against the one-term Azizan (PAS) administration is still alive – perhaps similar to the PAS-led Terengganu state government in 1999.

It also suggests that while the PAS alliance with DAP and PKR is working at the federal level, there is much to be done within the party in how it treats non-Muslims in states where it runs the administration.

In Kedah especially, PAS under new state commissioner Datuk Mahfuz Omar has much work to do to win back a better level of support from the Chinese community, seen as a kingmaker in the fight with Umno.

And a sure way to do so is by understanding and appreciating that banning this and that does not work in a multi-racial and multi-religious country like Malaysia. Protecting the majority also means protecting the minority.

Malaysians want good governance, sound economic policies and leaders with principles, not those who pander to the narrow view of the few that restrictions and bans are what governments do all the time.

Who ever votes for a nanny state in a democracy?

PAS does not have to look far if it wants to ever run a state in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. All it has to do is look at Selangor and Penang where it won big in the May 5 general election.

Neither of these two west coast states had mumbo-jumbo stuff such as closing down cinemas or any other restrictions on businesses.

Both states kept their PR governments in Election 2013. There are lessons to be drawn from how these two state governments kept their mandate. Mahfuz and his party colleagues must remember that if they wish to recapture Kedah.

Otherwise, the BN formula will prove resilient and keep power, just because the opposition pact does not understand Malaysia as well as BN does. – November 6, 2013.