I agree with concerns that the Madani government may move to the right to appeal to the conservative Malay vote, as expressed by the PKR MP for Pasir Gudang, Hassan Abdul Karim, DAP MP for Bukit Bendera, Syerleena Abdul Rashid and Amanah secretary-general Mohd Hatta Ramli among others.
However, there is no need to panic as there are silver linings in the black clouds of the six state polls.
What the Madani government should do for the next four years is to spell out and implement the Madani vision beneficial to both Malays and non-Malays in the great national effort to make Malaysia to rise up again to become a great world-class nation and forestall Malaysia from becoming a divided, failed and corrupt state like Sri Lanka when Malaysia celebrates our Centennial in 2057.
If the DAP is anti-Malay, anti-Islam, anti-Royalty, cause of May 13,1969 riots in Kuala Lumpur, and even communist, DAP should not get a single Malay vote in the six state polls on August 12.
Yet the DAP had been able to get substantial Malay votes in Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Penang where the DAP had seen DAP leaders in action as illustrated by three victories in Selangor – Ng Suee Lin in Sekinchan, Lee Kee Hiong in Kuala Kubu Baharu and Lwi Kian Kweong in Sungei Pelek.
Which political party has produced a leader who went to jail and prepared to lose his qualifications as a Member of Parliament in the defence of the dignity of an underaged Malay girl?
Why were the allegations that the DAP was anti-Malay, anti-Islam, anti-Royalty, cause of May 13, 1969 riots and communist not made in the first 30 years of DAP’s existence, and only made in the last 20 years with the film Tanda Puteri?
It is in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu where the demonisation of DAP as anti-Malay, anti-Islam, anti-Royalty, the cause of the May 13, 1969 riots and communist had the greatest effect because there is no counter-narrative that all these demonisation were lies, falsehoods, fake news and hate speech as there was no contact with DAP national leaders and by default the Malays in these states tend to believe in the demonisation of DAP.
There were Perikatan Nasional (PN) inroads in Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Penang but there was no PN tsunami.
People who have worry are those who predicted that PN was poised for a clean sweep in the six state polls, 5-1 if not a 6-0 victory!
The results of the six state polls may be the PN high-water mark and the outcome of the 16th General Elections in four years’ time in 2027 may be a different kettle of fish altogether.
The greatest loser in the six state polls are those who believe that the country has reached the position of irreconcilable differences of a polarised society according to race and religion and things can only get worse but not better.
I do not belong to this group.
The six state polls result is a rejection of those who argued promoting multi-racial Malaysia runs afoul of the Malaysian Constitution.
These advocates of a mono-racial, mono-religious and mono-cultural Malaysia disregards the efforts of the nation’s founding fathers like Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussen Onn (who were the first three Prime Ministers and UMNO Presidents), Tun Tan Cheng Lock and Tun V.T. Sambanthan who accepted Malaysia is a plural society and which find expression in the Malaysian Constitution and the Rukun Negara.
There is an extraordinary situation in Malaysia where there is no racial animosities or religious enmities in the country, and yet at general elections, there are political parties who relied on the lies, falsehoods, fake news and hate speech to create fear to give the impression that the Malays and Islam are under threat.
This state of affairs must not be allowed to exist for the health of Malaysia.