The BN has come to the conclusion that its machinery is going well but that it need a crucial element if it want to beat Anwar Ibrahim, the rising political star in Malaysia in the by-elections on 26th August.

While it is widely believed the Chinese community will support Anwar, the BN says according to press reports that it is not giving up and that they expect a swift turn in their voting pattern. The government coalition is doing everything to win the Chinese voters.

The swearing on the holy al-Quraan by the sodomy accuser Saiful Bukhari against Anwar Ibrahim did not change the minds of a large majority of the Chinese community in the by-election. The community feels that it is a non-issue and it should not be played in the election campaign, which is to the BN's disadvantage. 

The only issue that could swing Chinese voters will be the economic relief that the BN would grant to them if it defeated Anwar in the elections. The BN is pressing the point that Anwar is not going to work for the Chinese but will win only to enter Parliament. The bigger issue for the PKR, the BN says is to get Anwar in the Parliament to challenge the BN.

The government party believes that this is not what bothers the Chinese community and that an economic boost given to the members of the community could help restore the BN's credibility - which is at its lowest ever among the Chinese in Malaysia.

"It's the money, stupid," say an observer to WFOL but he added that the BN is at a lost there since money and by-elections means corrupt practices and vote buying. Yet sources say the BN still beleives the Chinese votes are not going to be 100% Anwar's.

In the 2008 general elections in March this year, the PKR - Anwar's party - leader Wan Azizah Wan Ismail won by a 13,000 votes majority against the Umno-BN candidate, a thrashing that only Anwar was capable of handing over to his opponents during his BN days.

With the Chinese community said to be supporting the PKR and Anwar, this majority may now increae further says observes. Yet, they add that the BN is also capable of getting the Chinese voters onboard if its strategy to play the Saiful saga and oath taking to the Malays, who constitute 70 percent of the voters in Permatang Pauh.

The BN will have to get more than 50% of Malay votes and half of the chinese votes to beat the most popular Malay candidate in Malaysian history. Anwar is considered a Malay despite his mixed origin and he is seen as the one Malay politican who can rally the Malays, Chinese, Indians and other races under one roof.

The BN has almost given up on the Indian voters who forms the 5% remaining of the 59,000 odd voters in Permatang Pauh.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/Hide comments

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment