Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Bertha HarianBertha Harian

Politics

The Malaysian polls: A grassroot look from across the Causeway

So exciting, this Malaysian election! Wow! Apparently the opposition thinks it can come into power. That Anwar says his PR party will win more than half of the 222 parliament seats, like 10 seats more. Like between 120 and 125 seats. Can or not?

Anwar’s team now has 75 seats. Najib has 137. Already Najib don’t have two-thirds majority…Then Anwar’s side also got four constituencies. A bit like Aljunied, Hougang, Potong Pasir, Punggol East ? Err, no, no. Wrong. It’s four states in Malaysia, much bigger and more powerful than town councils.

Must sit down and calculate. Call bookie before numbers get too hot and then cannot place bets…

Wow! Imagine that Anwar as Prime Minister. Got thrown into jail and all that. Got accused of sodomy. Now got chance! Malaysian politics very exciting. In Singapore, someone like him better give up and leave the country. Can’t even have mistress here!

And that Najib actually say he will ensure peaceful transfer of power! Like so early give up hope…Real or not?
Don’t know whether the opposition will break down or not, about who is going to fight where. Maybe will have three, four-cornered fight…and then split the votes. Then Najib will laugh. But don’t hear much about such quarrels leh. In fact, those PAS people say all the seats already allocated. Everything so organised. In Singapore, so much drama in opposition about who is going to stand in one small by-election…

But maybe the opposition will break up after they win. You know, like how so many cross over to Najib’s side the last time. Actually Anwar’s side got five states but only left with four now. Should be like Singapore…politicians cannot anyhow change political party…or they lose their seat. Anwar now says he wants to move out of Penang and go to Perak to fight. That place almost went to his side the last time.
Wow! So exciting.

Actually Malaysians quite lucky. Najib got $444 million economic transformation plan, want to turn Malaysia into high-income place by 2020. Wow! That’s like $2m for every seat! And then all those civil servants in Petronas just got bonus somemore! So much money spread everywhere!
This Najib really quite something – change ISA, let foreign companies in, some bumi policies his father put in.. also he change…Don’t know if this make him more popular or make him look weak. Poor fellow.

But he maybe got to think about all those young people voting for the first time lah. Like three million of them, more than 20 per cent of people voting. Sure they go out and vote, even though not compulsory like in Singapore. Young people these days quite vocal. I hear the internet got buzz like bees.
Malaysia got elections commission some more. Wonder if they look at boundary changes or not? Or just make sure that no funny business with who is on the voting list. Apparently, can anyhow add dead people’s names the last time…Never heard of such a thing! So much hanky panky! Now not much chance also to do anything funny with the voting paper – the ink cannot come out type. Don’t know whether same ink use in Singapore or not. Should ask that new fellow now running Singapore elections after Ah Yam left.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6588922561575109

Aiyah! We in Singapore just relax and watch lah. Maybe PAP and Opposition can learn something from the Malaysians. But maybe we small people don’t go buy property in Iskandar yet. Our business people also better be steady and watch properly. Anwar’s side said they want to take over Johor. Don’t know if anything will change if they take over.

Aiyoh… Hope everything Singapore already settled with Malaysia won’t get changed because of the election, you know, railway land lah, the joint development in town lah. Hope everything in concrete. That high-speed train from here to KL had better come true. Wait kena delay because got change in government and someone wants to re-calculate everything…
My stupid bookie not picking up phone. Must be busy.

Written By

An ex-journalist who can't get enough of the news after being in the business for 26 years

Further reading