The thumping 2,592-vote majority of the Barisan Nasional in the by-election confirms the DAP’s analysis and concerns that the two greatest issues in the contest would be the post-911 scenario and the Islamic state question.
The by-election campaign conducted by PKN and BA Indera Kayangan by-election was a most extraordinary one, based on the great fallacy as if 911 never happened and the Islamic state a non-issue, avoiding and evading instead of frontally addressing both issues. Up to the very end of the campaign, PKN leaders were publicly declaring that both the 911 and Islamic state questions were not issues in the by-election.
Even the nightly 90-second Barisan Nasional propaganda footage camouflaged as prime-time news, which is the lynch-pin of the Barisan Nasional campaign to exploit both these issues by painting the Barisan Alternative as representing a Taliban Malaysia, with PAS as the chief proponent and PKN the abettor, was avoided - contributing to the devastating Indera Kayangan by-election result for the PKN candidate.
The misreading of the total change of political dynamics in the country after 911 was so serious that the PRM President, Dr. Syed Husin Ali could issue a statement on the eve of polling to suggest the possiblity of a second Lunas in Indera Kayangan!
(20/1/2002)