The Busy Week and GE15

 Sun 13.11.2022

It's been a Busy Week.

I'd promised Hank to help with a bit of his editing work on the 2nd edition of "I Remember", the FMC book. I'd even gone to his house for tuition: I don't know how to start !

I was also committed to our second trip to "Warong Dayang", Linggi.  Md. Sham, Awaluddin, Hashim and Mazni were supposed to join Hank and I this time, for the "ikan baung" lunch.

But there was a MUBARAK meeting at the Royal Chulan, Seremban. Then there were GE15 related events, including the Nomination Day, for which I was somehow involved, but that's another story.

Somehow, somewhere, I managed to participate in them all. For the Busy Week.

GE14 is gone. I commented on this immediately after the event, in 2018. The 60-month Parliament term has about 7 months to run, including the 60-day wait allowed, before the compulsory general election.  Today we have 7 days before the votes are cast for 222 Parliamentry seats in the country. 

The Peninsula has 166 Parliamentry seats, with Sabah / Sarawak 56. Sarawak, with 31(14%), has the biggest single share and may yet determine who forms the Federal Government. Some states have opted out of the GE15, to add to the pervading confusion.

UMNO is the culprit behind all this. They were the ones behind the wasteful Melaka and Johor state bye-elections recently. Their agitation is matched by the number of candidates nominated on 5.11.2022. We have almost 1,000 of them, giving an average of 4.5 candidates per seat, the highest in the country's record. And I thought we're all sick of these elections.

Race and religion are in the political fabric. In truth, everyone can exist in relative harmony, regardless of this. But not according to the wild talk at the height of a wild campaign. Fortunately, public behaviour is still civilised, when the emotions on the internet are downright barbaric.

UMNO had lost badly in GE14. They can't wait to rewrite the records. Why did Muhyiddin, whom they had unceremoniously kicked out, let them into the government again after only 22 months? 

True to character, UMNO reneged on all promises, written, verbal or whatever. Then again, if they can lie in the name of God, they can do anything !

60 years is a long time to enjoy political dominence and everything that entails. Losing all that is too hard. UMNO cannot wait to seek revenge, and this time the surprised victor (PH) handed  the chance on a platter, and they didn't even have to wait more than 22 months !

How's the campaigning so far ?

It's not been as fiery as expected, in real life here in Seremban. The nomination crowd at MBS was tame. PH with incumbent Anthony Loke had the biggest crowd. The Police said later that they had 250 people. PI wanted 1,000 the night before, but that was PAS talking. I counted 50. BN had about the same number. The number of police personnel present probably gave it a ratio of 1:1 between people and police. I think the police was disappointed with the turn of events.

The real exchange is on the internet. PKR and UMNO have been at it for some time. Non-participants, like the ex-minister from Perak, and the London bloke,  are free with their predictions.  The PKR narrative from 1999 has been "Anwar for PM". That looks as certain now as it has been since 1999.

UMNO is either very brave but stupid, or very brave but prophetic. Their leader has determined that action no. 1 upon winning is to "sack the Chief Justice." With one PM already in jail, and one future PM to join him soon, that wish is understandable.

UMNO's candidature had been surgically cut-up, and "take-it-or-leave-it" the order of the day.  So the guy in Perlis said "shove it" and now stands for PN, and many in Perlis say he will win it. The Rembau guy put his tail between his legs and dutifully hobbled to Sg. Buluh, comforted by his boss with "be thankful I let you even stand". Nonetheless, exRembau still wants to be PM.

PN picked PAS to contest Seremban. With about 51 % Malays, this PAS guy should take down DAP's Anthony Loke. But with 5 candidates, the Malay votes would be split, and Anthony gets his 2nd term. And 2 "ceramahs" I've attended tell me that PN's message of "communist Chinese, no LBGT, Muhyiddin's Covid 19 success" and the party-dominated audiences,  don't impress, and worse, reach no one. Party members shouting "Perikatan Nasional !" and "takbir!" seem very PAS-like. If PAS candidates win on the west coast, it'll be thanks to BERSATU.

"Merdeka Centre", like in GE14, gives its regular predictions on the state of affairs. That London smart aleck gives his usual 2-cent worths. The general view is everything is "50:50", whatever that means. To me it means they don't know. They got it all wrong GE14.

Back to the Linggi trip, Hank regretfully couldn't make it this time, although he was responsible for this 2nd trip. His elder sister was found lying on the floor that morning, and he had to take her to the hospital. Later I checked and found out that she was allowed to go home.

In spite of missing the junction to Mazni's house twice (my fault - but my excuse is I was in the 3rd row seat at the rear and couldn't see the junctions) we reached Warung Dayang in good time. Everybody enjoyed the "baung masak lada api" so much we had "tapaus". I even got one although I didn't order. Md.Sham did justice to his long trip. He not only cleaned up his baung, he also finished his "ikan sembilang". The baung was confirmed caught fresh from the Linggi river.

Meanwhile, I still haven't started on editing "I Remember". I shouldn't forget.

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