The main conclusion for “The Political Tsunami Changes Malaysian Politics” article is 8th March 2008, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has changes politics scenario with dominate all urban areas in Parliament hold BN 2/3 majority and conquer 4 States from Barisan Nasional (BN).
According to author of this article, BN has been psychologically prepared because it expected to lose majority of Indian votes and part of Chinese votes. The Power of BN only rely on Sabah, Sarawak and southern Malaysia to ruling power.
Nowadays, to choose members of parliament(MP) no based on race or religion. This give advantages and beneficial to opposition to gain victory. Not only that BN also lose hope from malay votes in urban areas. The lost of mixed constituencies in BN coalition because of each party only stressed for their own ideology and keep fighting for the interests of their races.
Opposition took all the ways this advantage with charismatic leader showed by Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim successfully to change the party to the new coalition. Beside that, opposition has abandoned racial and religious issues and wanted to emphasised people to join the to promote new slogan on social equality, democracy and justice. Like Parti KeADILan Rakyat (PKR), based on multinational parties and doesn’t stressed on only one races but all races as they own ambition to unite people in Malaysia as a “Bangsa Malaysia” and “Ketuanan Rakyat”.
BN component parties are interest on racial issues not on such the national interest and this also give the reason why BN have a poor performance in 12th general election beside hard to maintain the need of national unity. And Malaysia would definitely have a new face after the political tsunami. It will be better with balance of political parties in Parliament like others developed country each parties leader are always do a collaboration or meets each others to discuss the national issue either government or opposition.
The weakness of this article have seen on the BN’s manifesto that is “peace, stability and prosperity”. The author said the manifesto under double pressure from people because it has inconsistent. To fair with this kind of situations, BN’s still get a mandate from voters to form new government, it doesn’t mean they get special manifesto but people mentality still want same government because they don’t want to give an experiment to others coalition who have a ambition to control and rules the country. Although in 1999, Malaysian politic scene has mess with political assassin after Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim been sacked by former 4th Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir. Majority of Malaysian not satisfied with BN government and leader at that time, Tun Mahathir and co. and therefore people from various states no longer loyal to them and still Mahathir regime conquer all various votes heart with all proper development will be implements directly as a government Vision 2020 to be modern country and well being developed country in all aspects especially in political sides.
Voters believed that all development has been done properly that’s why Malaysian people don’t want to cross over the votes to opposition except state of Kelantan Darul Naim who rules by Parti Islam Semalaysia (PAS) almost 2 decade and people in Kelantan are synonym as PAS want to implements true Islamic administration and hudud and qisas law.
On the others weakness is DAP (Democratic Action Party) wish to bring changes to the country. As I know DAP dominate by Chinese voters and constitution of party stronger supported the secularism. Changes to bring brightness to country maybe not influence the Malay votes. DAP definitely has a difficult to get votes from Malays as 66 percent of Malaysia are Malay Muslim. Compared to PKR and PAS, both of parties have their own priority to help and aware with all situations like social contracts and religious issue. Both parties also similar with UMNO dominated by Malay. I refer choose this both parties then DAP.
On side of major leadership changes as the author mention on the article, I definitely disagree with changes in all components. Only certain party just like UMNO, MCA and MIC doing the changes on the top of leadership with fresh of idea to leads the party to struggle off after political tsunami on 8th March 2008. The ideologies of component parties are adjusted but still not abandoning racial partition. The main of priority in BN coalition’s component parties is still on racial ideologies. To abandon
racial ideologies quite hard because its setup by many century with alliance based own separate racial entity. That’s why Malaysian has decide to choose the alternative coalition because of sick with old system that made by national frontier.
Some of paragraph on this article use emotive language like PR supported by people emphasised on issues like lowering oil prices, improving law and order, reducing the gap between the rich and the poor and fighting against corruption. From that we can see that Opposition not only supported by lower and middle class people but it also supported by professional individual, students, and former BN’s member who know that they has been use to fulfils others interest in political scene. From that situation, PR have established themselves earlier beginning of election to planned they strategies to gain more stronger than 2004 opposition coalition. And media stream also helped the opposition to campaign they election machinery and manifesto. This also solve the problem to people who likely want to choose opposition as the national leading media are fully control by BN government. From newspaper to television programs are related to government and opposition only get a double standard from government. All bloggers especially internet streams are able to worked together to relishing the opposition ambition and blog in internet are state of art weapon for opposition. It also divided into 2 ways, first, all blog that managed by professional individual who have political background and have their own supporters at grassroots. Second, all propaganda been done to get full support from various votes and the ways to solve the problem especially oil price issues are being made and creates a good atmosphere to all Malaysian.
Weakness that I find is BN coalition, who ruled the country for half of a century could not control changed of the people thought. Basically mark of half century could be a historical and people will wait to see the improvement time to time. With experience has been established BN coalition has a fully advantages from past times and can control people thought by restricts certain issues and blocked all requirement that can disrupt harmonies and stability in country. This weakness also can called hasty generalization.
With the varsity of political party in Malaysia, the political tsunami has brought the new era of constitution democracy and changed whole system of old democracy to fresh, justice and clean images of democracy with the prototype of two-coalition system in the political arena of Malaysia.
Note: I use these topic to complete my assignment about the argument in these article.
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