Food for thought- The Malaysian Insider
March 11, 2013 — The last few weeks have seen the upping of the political ante with the approach of the general election. But apart from the usual rhetoric from both sides over securing a resounding victory, it has been hard for analysts and laymen alike to predict the outcome.
A few events though may give better clues as to which way the wind is blowing. First, it was the resurrection of the Altantuya episode with Deepak Jaikishan asking for immunity from arrest from a future Pakatan government in exchange for information on the episode. This was followed by the return of the private investigator P. Balasubramaniam from exile in India, also looking to reveal the truth behind the Mongolian episode. At the same time the RCI hearings into Project IC showed that indeed there was an organised programme to subvert the arduous process of giving citizenship to foreigners into an instant procedure, allegedly in exchange for votes. A number of witnesses came forward to testify to the truth of actions suspected by many for decades.
Additionally the Lahad Datu incursion shone a spotlight into the implications, real and potential, of the unfettered entry of illegals into the country. People who saw them as nothing more than cheap labour or a source of electoral success realised that things were not quite as they seemed. Words like treason and war entered the vocabulary of the news. The final salvo was fired by the father of the alleged victim of Sodomy II, Saiful Bukhari, who while apologising to Anwar Ibrahim, alleged that the whole case was a conspiracy hatched in the prime minister’s department to finish off the opposition leader’s career.
In time-honoured tradition, BN chose its usual response of silence over the allegations followed by even more partisan mudslinging in the mainstream media. But what is really interesting is the timing of all these events. Did the government really believe that witnesses called by the RCI in Sabah, largely BN sympathisers and beneficiaries, would expose the existence of Project IC? Or that Deepak and Bala, silenced for so long, would find their voices again? Or that a father who had believed in his son’s story through the intense media spotlight just came to the conclusion that the story was fabricated as part of a political conspiracy?
Why are these people emboldened to the point of incurring the wrath of the powers-that-be or the judicial system now, when they didn’t earlier? Perhaps for the first time ever after doing the maths, there is a sense that this might be the year that a new broom is swept into power. From the infamous Bank Islam economist’s prediction to Nomura Economic Research’s March 6 prediction of 120-124 seats for BN as a baseline scenario, BN’s numbers seem to be dropping as the election comes nearer.
Anwar Ibrahim’s recent promises of a smooth transition of power and no retribution if Pakatan comes to power need to be looked at in this light. People with something to gain or lose with a change of federal government are making up their minds now, and it does not augur well for BN. For the rest of the voters committed to one coalition or the other, these events are unlikely to change their minds.
But for the stereotypical fence sitter burdened with the task of deciding who comes into power, there is suddenly a lot of food for thought. As might be the case for Raja Petra Kamarudin.
A few events though may give better clues as to which way the wind is blowing. First, it was the resurrection of the Altantuya episode with Deepak Jaikishan asking for immunity from arrest from a future Pakatan government in exchange for information on the episode. This was followed by the return of the private investigator P. Balasubramaniam from exile in India, also looking to reveal the truth behind the Mongolian episode. At the same time the RCI hearings into Project IC showed that indeed there was an organised programme to subvert the arduous process of giving citizenship to foreigners into an instant procedure, allegedly in exchange for votes. A number of witnesses came forward to testify to the truth of actions suspected by many for decades.
Additionally the Lahad Datu incursion shone a spotlight into the implications, real and potential, of the unfettered entry of illegals into the country. People who saw them as nothing more than cheap labour or a source of electoral success realised that things were not quite as they seemed. Words like treason and war entered the vocabulary of the news. The final salvo was fired by the father of the alleged victim of Sodomy II, Saiful Bukhari, who while apologising to Anwar Ibrahim, alleged that the whole case was a conspiracy hatched in the prime minister’s department to finish off the opposition leader’s career.
In time-honoured tradition, BN chose its usual response of silence over the allegations followed by even more partisan mudslinging in the mainstream media. But what is really interesting is the timing of all these events. Did the government really believe that witnesses called by the RCI in Sabah, largely BN sympathisers and beneficiaries, would expose the existence of Project IC? Or that Deepak and Bala, silenced for so long, would find their voices again? Or that a father who had believed in his son’s story through the intense media spotlight just came to the conclusion that the story was fabricated as part of a political conspiracy?
Why are these people emboldened to the point of incurring the wrath of the powers-that-be or the judicial system now, when they didn’t earlier? Perhaps for the first time ever after doing the maths, there is a sense that this might be the year that a new broom is swept into power. From the infamous Bank Islam economist’s prediction to Nomura Economic Research’s March 6 prediction of 120-124 seats for BN as a baseline scenario, BN’s numbers seem to be dropping as the election comes nearer.
Anwar Ibrahim’s recent promises of a smooth transition of power and no retribution if Pakatan comes to power need to be looked at in this light. People with something to gain or lose with a change of federal government are making up their minds now, and it does not augur well for BN. For the rest of the voters committed to one coalition or the other, these events are unlikely to change their minds.
But for the stereotypical fence sitter burdened with the task of deciding who comes into power, there is suddenly a lot of food for thought. As might be the case for Raja Petra Kamarudin.
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