From Chris Anthony via email
The landslide victory for Barisan Nasional in the Sarawak election is a sad reminder of the pathetic state of affairs our country is in. To many of us in Peninsular Malaysia, it was a great let down, although we expected the result, knowing that the election was conducted unfairly.
The result appears to indicate that the people have not learned their lessons from GE13 and the huge scandals that involve the ruling party and its top leaders. They don’t seem to be concerned about the massive corruption that’s going on, the blatant abuse of power and the erosion of the independence of the institutions that are meant to protect their rights.
Does the election result in Sarawak mean that money politics has been accepted as the norm? Is it the consequence of the bickering between opposition parties? Or is it a reflection of the general apathy of the people towards politics in general due to their feeling of helplessness in the face of massive power abuse?
There is a general feeling of hopelessness among even the most ardent of the activists fighting for peaceful political change. Every legitimate move to effect change has been ruthlessly crushed by the powers that be. Right has become wrong and wrong right. Malaysians who wanted change have been severely discouraged and are beginning to resort to the attitude embodied in such statements as “I can’t save the country, but at least let me save myself and my loved ones.” Not many have the perseverance or the courage to fight against a system that doesn’t give a damn for the well-being and reputation of a nation where cash is king.
The opposition parties’ refusal to compromise with each other cost them major losses even in their own strongholds. Refusing to adopt a give and take attitude made them fall victim to the racist and abusive tactics of the mighty BN. Malaysians are beginning to lose hope in the opposition’s capability to seize power. If at all it does, it is doubtful that it will be able to unite and rule effectively. The dispute between DAP and PKR has seriously eroded the people’s confidence in Pakatan Harapan as an alternative to BN.
Voters in Sarawak have placed their hopes in Chief Minister Adenan Satem and his promises for a more autonomous Sarawak. We will have to wait and see whether he will be able to fulfil his promises.
The losses in Sarawak and the bitter differences between DAP and PKR have sadly brought the nation back to square one. In fact, it is now a battle between a weakened and fragmented opposition against a powerful, money-boosted BN, which shows no signs of bowing to the humble demands of the people in the near future. The prospect for change through the next general election does not seem promising and Malaysians will be in for tough times for many more years to come.
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