Post-election blues

For those who followed the coverage of the poll results on TV last Monday night, the Barisan Nasional juggernaut appeared utterly invincible. As the final scores trickled into the newsroom, the inevitable "BN menang" (BN wins) flashed across the screen.

Those who turned to the Internet, however, saw a different picture. For example, malaysiakini reported that PAS had made a clean sweep of Terengganu by 10pm, a fact that TV viewers were kept oblivious of until 2 or 3 the next morning, when most would have gone to bed.

The TV stations, where on other occasions would have fallen over themselves to be first in bringing news to the living room, were instead vying to be the last to tell Malaysians that Umno was badly mauled by PAS in Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah.

Perhaps it was a case of the broadcasters - as in a Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale -- not wanting to point out that the emperor was indeed naked. Perhaps it was a psychological warfare against almost half of the voters who back the opposition. Or perhaps it was sheer incompetence.

But whatever the reason, BN leaders might have themselves unwittingly bought that feel-good tidings. The BN, boasted Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, was still the party of choice.

It wasn't much later that it dawned on Umno leaders that not all was what it seemed. Apart from losing two states, four Cabinet ministers and six deputy Cabinet ministers had been ousted. Other top guns such as Umno vice-president and prime minister aspirant, Najib Tun Razak, scrapped through by the skin of his teeth.

Mahathir said he would announce his Cabinet tomorrow. That he is taking so long to form his Cabinet is telling. Clearly, if Umno is unable to arrest the rot, it could face certain defeat in the 2004 elections. By then, an expected 1.5 million voters would be added to the rolls, not just the 680,000 that Mahathir feared so much. And a swing of a mere 10 per cent would lead to the fall of at least 31 Umno parliamentary seats, almost half of its current total.

While BN, and Umno in particular, is suffering from the arrogance which comes with old age, the opposition BA, especially eight-month-old KeADILan, is experiencing some growing pains of its own. It was reported that Chandra Muzaffar, the linchpin of the fledgling party, has threw in his resignation. No doubt, that would deal a terrible blow to not only KeADILan, but also the Barisan Alternatif coalition.

Yes, there will be a lot of soul searching, and perhaps even some realignment, on both sides of the political fence in the coming months. Watch out for more fireworks in the run-up to -- what many people would consider as the "real" elections -- the fight for the top posts in next year's Umno general assembly. For those seeking to dislodge the incumbents, the recent Umno poll debacle will definitely offer them rich fodder.

On Monday, Mahathir said Umno would examine the reason for its poor showing in a number of the northern states. The main reason, for some, is clear. Mahathir needs only take a look at the mirror. Unless, of course, the mirror -- as in another popular fairy tale -- lies, too.

Steven Gan
Malaysiakini.com