Lessons from the 12th.General Elections

A victory for racial unity

March 8,2007 was the turning point in the history of our nation. It was a day when the opposition parties, by a rare show of unity among them, succeeded in denying the BN a 2/3 majority in parliament. It brought mixed feelings among the people and the various political parties. To the ruling BN it was a victory that could not be celebrated but to the opposition a sweet success that was considered impossible just weeks before. Nevertheless in general it was a victory for democracy and Malaysians as a whole.

Putting aside winning and losing, this general election revealed the development of an encouraging trend among the electorate, which is more educated and knowledgeable. The peaceful way the election campaign and the election itself were conducted revealed the maturity of the people and the politicians. It was gratifying to realize that by enlarge the candidates refrained from resorting to racial issues and character assassination to gain votes.

In fact Malaysians in general were encouraged by the unprecedented unity among the supporters of the various parties especially in the opposition. Who would have imagined Malays and non-Malays going out in large numbers to vote for the DAP and PAS respectively? Who would have imagined Malays and Chinese shouting “Makkal Sakthi” at the top of their voices? It was unthinkable before but this election had proved that racial unity is a reality and can be achieved if there is a political will. It was a show of courage and maturity of the people who proved that if the need arises they can unite to achieve even the impossible.

Another remarkable trend that unveiled was that the losers and the victors in this election were gracious to accept the will of the people. This was particularly so with former Penang Chief Minister,Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, who must be commended for his gentlemanly attitude in facing his defeat. In fact he was victorious even in defeat. The Prime Minister,Pak Lah, too was very gracious in facing the tremendous losses of his party on that day. According to him, accepting the people’s verdict, either favorable or otherwise, is what democracy all about. In the end the people’s interests is what is important not the politicians’.

Now the elections are over, it is time to move forward to serve the people. The BN must revamp itself to become more relevant to the masses. It has a formidable task to regain the confidence of the people. In this context it may be timely to seriously consider abolishing communal parties and paving the way for a multiracial BN in keeping with the demands of the rakyat.

It is time for all the political parties to fulfill their promises and pledges to the people. It is especially important for those ruling the states controlled by the opposition to immediately start working on those pledges. The humility and the people-friendliness that prevailed during the campaign must continue into the tenure of their rule. The people have voted for change and change they must see and experience, otherwise they may not hesitate to effect another change the next time around.

Dr.Chris Anthony