Johor should take over the baton from Sarawak to be the vanguard for political change in Malaysia

At the mid-point of the 11th Sarawak state general election campaign on April 30, I warned that seven of the 13 seats carved out of the 12 State Assembly constituencies won by DAP in last general election were in “danger list” for the May 7 poll.

A week later, on Polling Day, I was proved right when DAP could only win seven of the 12 seats won five years ago.

DAP Sarawak fought the 11th Sarawak state general election with two objectives:

(I) to defend and win the 13 State Assembly seats carved out of the 12 DAP seats
won in the last general elections; and

(2) to achieve a breakthrough in the Dayak-dominated seats to expand DAP support from the urban areas.

I had hoped that DAP candidate Modi Bimol could win the Tasik Biru state assembly seat, and that was why I was in Tasek Biru on Nomination Day.

But the combined artillery and firepower of the Barisan Nasional national and state “heavyweights” including the Sarawak Chief Minister and the Malaysian Prime Minister who led a long queue of State and Federal VIPS to descend on the constituency with monetary offers and other goodies, succeeded in foiling Modi from the DAP election breakthrough. In the event, Modi lost by 1,288 votes.

I had right from the beginning of the election campaign acknowledged that the 11th Sarawak state general election was not about deciding who would be the Sarawak Chief Minister and who would form the Sarawak State Government as both these questions had already been decided on Nomination Day – i.e. Adenan Satem as Sarawak Chief Minister and Sarawak Barisan Nasional as the Sarawak State Government.

I even said that the goal of denying Adenan two-thirds state assembly majority would be quite impossible, as it would mean the Opposition collectively electing at least 28 State Assembly seats in Sarawak.

What was achievable was to elect a strong, effective and principled Opposition team in the Sarawak state assembly to ensure that Adenan keeps his host of election promises and equally important, ensure that Adenan does abuse his powers as the Sarawak Chief Minister for the next five years.

DAP suffered a major defeat in the 11th Sarawak general election held last Saturday, reduced to seven state assembly seats from the 12 won five years ago in the 20111 Sarawak state general election.

It was unfortunate that Pakatan Harapan could not present a united team in the Sarawak state general elections, but the 11th Sarawak state general elections were most favourable to Sarawak Barisan Nasional because of the “Abdullah effect in 2004 General Elections” with Adenan as the new Chief Minister after 33 years of Taib Mahmud as Chief Minister – as well as Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak fighting for his “political life”.

From the results of the 11th Sarawak state general elections, it was obvious that even if Pakatan Harapan had been to present an united front, the Sarawak election results on May 7 would not be very different with BN winning from 70 to 72 seats in the 82-seat Sarawak State Assembly.

DAP suffered a major defeat in the May 7 Sarawak state elections, but it was not the most devastating defeat that DAP had suffered in our 50 year history.

In the 1999 general election, for instance, DAP was reduced to 10 Parliamentary seats and a single seat in the Penang State Assembly, when in 1986, DAP had won 24 Parliamentary seats while in the 1990 general election, DAP had won 14 Penang State Assembly seats.
Even Karpal Singh and myself lost in the parliamentary elections in 1999.

But we did not give up and surrender. Today, thanks to the perseverance, stamina and commitment of DAP leaders and supporters, DAP is the second largest party in Parliament after UMNO, leading the Penang State Government and part of the Selangor DAP State Government, with the most number of State Assembly seats in the country.

I am confident that the electoral debacle and reverses of DAP Sarawak in the recent Sarawak state election would become a stepping stone for the Sarawak DAP to achieve greater heights than in the past in its political struggle to be a political party for all Sarawakians – not only in the urban but also rural areas; the voice not only the Chinese but also Dayaks and Malays in Sarawak.

Sarawak had played the role as the vanguard for political change in Malaysia for the past ten years.

The 2006 Sarawak general election with the historic result in the election of six DAP Sarawak State Assemblymen was the prelude to the “political tsunami” in the 11th Malaysian General Election in 2008, which saw UMNO/BN losing its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time and UMNO/BN’s loss of five state governments – Kelantan, Kedah, Perak, Selangor and Penang.

The 2011 Sarawak State general election which saw DAP State Assemblymen doubled from six to 12 was the prelude to the 13th General Election in 2013, which would have changed Federal Government in Putrajaya if the democratic system was fair and democratic, not marred by constituency gerrymandering, as 53 per cent of the electorate voted for Putrajaya change of government.

Sarawak cannot perform a “triple” in the 2016 State General Election to continue to be in the vanguard for political change in Malaysia, needing a respite before returning to the forefront for political change and meaningful development.

Johor must now take over the baton from Sarawak to be the vanguard for political change in Malaysia.

This role of being the vanguard for political change in Malaysia now falls on the shoulders of Johor and the leaders of Johor DAP and Johor Pakatan Harapan must rise up to the occasion to assume this new and great national responsibility and challenge.

(Speech at the DAP kopitiam ceramah in Pontian on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 9 pm)

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5 Replies to “Johor should take over the baton from Sarawak to be the vanguard for political change in Malaysia”

  1. The problem with Johor is, honestly, the monarchy does not want Pakatan Harapan to take over, not even an Amanah led govt. The monarchy themselves want to take back power from UMNO/BN.

    Then there is PKR who does not want to get behind Amanah, even seeing them as rivals.

  2. Forget Sarawak – gerrymandering 霸位 by UmnoB/BN oredi ensured eazi BIG WIN 4 UmnoB/BN
    Lagi, Dayaks, d majority voters, very happy n satisfied 2 b governed, suppressed, sodomised by UmnoB/BN
    NO change, No UBAH, TQ
    Even d urban non-Dayak n non-Bumi r giving up on DAP n PKR, 2 big-ego self-mutilating jilaka parties

    Just look at Selangor
    DAP sacks Teluk Datok ADUN over financial misconduct
    Hah, what kind of DAP member is dis?
    Once in power, picked up UmnoB/BN corrupt culture n behaved like 1
    How many of these kaki r there in DAP, PKR, Pakatan Harapan?
    Impatient 2 b super rich n 2 b awarded titles by rulers

    So, dis guy got erected in d last GE by voters who supported Pakatan
    Now, ‘misused state funds’ as announced in d msm
    HOW MUCH arh?
    Got kicked out of DAP
    What’s d future?
    Independent ADUN? Or, might make more $$$ by joining UmnoB/BN 2 b an opposition ADUN in Selangor
    Win win situation 4 d sacked guy
    See, DAP n PKR provide a great platform 4 political opportunists 2 b super rich

    Can voters TRUST DAP n PKR kaki?

    Johor 2 b d vanguard 4 political change? Really? No joke?
    Better ask yourself, under d attack of UmnoB/BN n PAS, can DAP, PKR, Amanah PREVENT UmnoB/BN from RE-capturing Penang n Selangor in d next GE?

    Don’t nanti die die also no know why
    Still building castle in d air

  3. U must know d dynamics hv changed drastically, back to d PRE 2008 era

    Our rakyat n voters, most of them – educated or not, r still racists n still think in terms of race n mayb religion (hence, easily conned)

    Like it or not, in 2008 n 2013 erections, Pakatan managed 2 hv 1 to 1 fight with UmnoB/BN
    PAS, DAP, n PKR supporters (despite having different political n religious beliefs) were united bcos of ABU n voted 4 d Pakatan candidate

    Now in d coming buy erections n GE, what r we going 2 C?
    Three corner fights? Two oppositions versus UmnoB/BN?
    Oppositions = PAS n Harapan (DAP/PKR/Amanah)?

    In many marginal constituencies won in d last GE by Pakatan, what would b d outcome now if two oppositions contest against UmnoB/BN?

    Obviously NOT d same outcomes as those in 2013 n 2008.

    Many PAS, DAP, PKR, Amanah candidates might b wiped out (per Sarawak’s erection results)

    Dat cock 那鸡 is supposed 2 b weak, under attack fr various nations
    However, really, d opposition parties r even WEAKER, fragmented n self-mutilating after >8 years of so-called cooperation / cohabitation

    If UmnoB/BN won d coming 2 buy erections with a huge victory margin (like in Sarawak), dat cock 那鸡 would b cocky enuf 2 call 4 a snap GE 2 wipe off/annihilate PAS, DAP, PKR, Amanah n 2 RE-capture Selangor, Penang, n Kelantan

    TOTAL victory n decisive extermination of pesky opposition

    Dat cock 那鸡 would b crowned as d MOST brilliant, decisive, ruthless, n manipulative UmnoB leader

  4. DAP, PKR, Amanah 一盘散沙 in a mess, not united even after >8 years of cohabitation
    Only know how 2 SKRU each other 2 b d tai kor, even after d demise of Pakatan

    Lagi, some of their ADUNs n MPs do NOT serve their respective constituencies diligently as promised during GE13 campaign
    Only yak yak n pay lip service
    NOT even visible in their own constituencies
    Lagi, power n corruption rear their ugly heads
    Voters all ready to give ’em d BOOT (oredi happened in Sarawak)

    Amanah, DAP n PKR ADUNs n MPs still not aware of their shortcomings
    They arrogantly tot dat voters (esp in urban constituencies) MUST always vote 4 them

    They seem 2 b ignorant of dis: 水可载舟,亦可覆舟
    D water that floats a boat can also capsize it

    Just wait n C how voters turn their back on them in d coming buy erections n d next GE

    D future most likely back 2 2004 when d opposition political parties LOST big big (won only 20 out of 219 parliamentary seats)

    Don’t laugh n think impossible: MSiA, Gelakan, n MISi rise again like a phoenix from the ashes

    Penang n Selangor – U know lah, 变天 Ubah, change sky

    History always repeats itself

    There’s a saying: 富不过三代
    In dis wonderful land, for opposition political parties, 政治合作不过两次大选, semua mati, si kiau kiau

    UmnoB/BN just have 2 wait patiently, let d opposition politicians become swollen headed n self-implode, n then pounce 2 exterminate d opposition political parties, take no prisoners

    There r two ruthless Indonesians up in UmnoB hierarchy waiting 2 strike

  5. Theoretically n also in practice, very soon, Selangor could 变天 Ubah, change sky BACK 2 UmnoB/BN

    Mathematically possible: UmnoB + PAS + UmnoB/BN-friendly Independents + a couple of EX-DAP/PKR/Amanah crossovers = SIMPLE Majority >> DAP + PKR + Amanah

    Rakyat had seen $$$ (generous donation) n sekx + videos could do wonders 2 entice ppl 2 cross d line

    As rakyat know, d early bird catches d worm
    At dis very critical moment, d first 2 agree 2 cross over 2 UmnoB/BN will certainly catch d truly BIG FAT worm (very easy indeed 2 instant wealth n fame n power n titles)

    Exciting times ahead, almost ripe 4 something like what transpired in Perak in 2009 2 happen again, AKAN datang
    Hee, hee, hee …………..

    In politics there are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests

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