Malaysia will hold elections in six states on August 12 whilst the nomination day for candidates is on July 29. This means the Election Commission has allowed only 14-day campaign period. A whopping total of 245 assembly seats is up for grab in Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan with more than 9.7 million people eligible to vote.
This is the first time in history the six states did not hold their state elections concurrently with the 15th General Election on November 19 last year. And for the first time, Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition is working with former arch-rival Barisan Nasional (BN) after both stunningly formed the Unity Government as a result of a hung parliament post-election.
Opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) – the country’s most radical, racist and extremist coalition – has expressed its confidence to not only retain Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, but also to capture all the other states (Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan) controlled by PH. Of course, it was part of PN’s desperate psychological warfare to rally its supporters.
Joining the party, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he too was confident that PH can retain Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan while capturing two states (Terengganu and Kedah) held by Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS – Parti Islam Se-Malaysia). The state polls will be a test of support for the unity government led by Anwar. At the same time, it’s also a test for the “green wave”.
Like it or not, the battle will be between multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious BN and PH against religious extremist and racist bigot PN. Barisan Nasional (comprising UMNO, MCA and MIC) is working alongside Pakatan Harapan (PKR, Amanah and DAP) to deny and stop opposition Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu, PAS and Gerakan) from transforming Malaysia into a Taliban state.
Yes, opposition PN strategy is to play on 3R issues (race, religion and royalty) to garner support from voters, especially the ethnic Malays. Actually, it can’t play the royalty card anymore after arrogantly gave its “middle finger” to King Sultan Abdullah, Sultan Nazrin of Perak, Sultan Sharafuddin of Selangor, Sultan Mizan of Terengganu and Sultan Ibrahim of Johor.
For example, when Perak Sultan Nazrin of Perak summoned Perak PAS assemblymen for an audience related to the formation of Perak new state government in Dec 2020, PAS president Hadi Awang ordered his boys to ignore the royal decree. It was a humiliation that the Perak Monarch still remembers till today. But it was just the beginning of disrespect to the Malay Royals.
Power-hungry PAS was so arrogant that it had gone as far as conspiring with ex-backdoor PM Muhyiddin and fabricated the revocation of the emergency laws without the consent from the Palace, a move tantamount to usurping the powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong – an act of waging war against the King which carries capital punishment – “death penalty”.
Hadi and his gang of corrupt religious extremists had also openly ignored Sultan Selangor’s royal decrees in 2019 and 2021 that ban politicians from preaching Islam in the state. Upset that it would affect its ability to spread fake news and falsehoods among Malay voters, PAS accused the monarch of anti-Islam – spreading dangerous rumours and fears that the royal decree allowed the enemies of Islam to “rejoice”.
In Terengganu, Sultan Mizan had banned politicians from using mosques to deliver religious lectures or “ceramahs”, which are actually political propaganda. However, defiant Hadi rudely rejected the sultan’s order. In a clear sign of treason and treachery, the PAS leader announced he will continue to give religious and political speeches in mosques, and there was nothing the Malay Ruler can do about it.
Unable to play royalty card, PN will depend on race and religion cards. Bersatu will falsely accus Anwar administration of failure to address bread-and-butter issues, including cost of living and inflation – even though the previous backdoor PN government had done worse. PAS, on the other hand, will spread fake news that DAP-Chinese is anti-Islam, anti-Malay and is about to take over the country.
The opposition hopes the green wave, which shocked the nation with PN winning 74 seats in the Nov 2022 national polls, will continue some 10 months later. To ensure that, PAS and its sidekick Bersatu have already started its election campaign by poisoning the mindset of young Malay voters with fake news because they knew the gullible and ignorant voters can be easily scammed and conned.
Make no mistake – in the unexpected event Perikatan Nasional makes significant inroads in the PH stronghold states of Selangor and Penang, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) under Zahid Hamidi leadership would be under pressure to switch alliance to the opposition. This could lead to the collapse of the unity government and the return of the PN regime once again.
It’s one thing that the return of the clueless and incompetent PN government will see the repeat of the sagging economy, bearish stock market, rising costs of living, un-affordable housing and depreciating local currency. It’s another thing altogether to see the extremist and racist regime suppressing and oppressing minority ethnic’s rights such as demolishing temples and abolishing vernacular education.
Under Muhyiddin regime, the minorities had seen the liquor sale ban as well as Hindus’ temple being demolished. In fact, when Kedah Chief Minister Sanusi was criticised, he mocked and insulted the Hindus – calling them “drunk on toddy”. Muhyiddin’s own minister, former Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal, had proposed to close down all SJKC vernacular schools.
Malaysia’s northern Kedah state, governed by extremist Islamist party PAS, had not only destroyed completely the non-Muslims’ rights by banning licensed gambling and alcohol consumption, but has also threatened to cut water supply to Penang – unless the island paid RM50 million annually as blackmailed by the notorious Chief Minister Sanusi.
So, while the Chinese and Indian community will definitely reject PN, young Malay voters, including 18-year-old university students who voted for the first time in the 15th General Election last November, might be thinking of voting for Perikatan Nasional again in the coming August state elections. They naively think even if Selangor falls, it won’t affect them.
The younger voter base, who were mostly influenced by PN’s campaign propaganda using TikTok videos to falsely attack PH as being anti-Muslim, pro-Chinese and LGBTQ-friendly, has no clue that if Selangor falls and the unity government collapses, the entertainment industry could see a shift to extremism. Concerts that feature international artists will be banned.
Previously, PAS leaders had called for Blackpink concert to be cancelled because it was a bigger threat than religious activities. The religious extremists were not impressed that the South Korean girl group concert was attended by more than 60,000 people. Blackpink, consisting of Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa, was condemned for their clothing and dance movements.
In reality, PAS was terrified of the K-Pop girl group, which despite its revealing and rebelling image, as it is more influential than the Islamist party. The radical Islamic teaching of PAS has always been to control the mind of Malay-Muslims through systematic and constant religious “brainwashing” activities. That was how the political party produces its obedient walking zombies.
Hilariously, Perikatan Nasional was the only one so afraid of Blackpink that it wanted to ban and outlaw the international bands. In Saudi Arabia, arguably the most conservative Islamic country, it was a sold-out show as K-pop fans in the Kingdom were treated to a spectacular concert by the wildly popular girl artists at BLVD International Festival Site in Riyadh.
Many of the Saudi capital’s prominent landmarks such as Kingdom Tower, King Abdullah Financial District, Al-Faisaliah Tower, Digital City, and Boulevard World, were lit up in pink to celebrate the concert, which was part of the band’s “BORN PINK World Tour”. Abu Dhabi was the second Middle Eastern stop after Saudi. Likewise, Muslims in Indonesia had no issue with Blackpink.
Subsequently, the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS – Parti Islam Se-Malaysia) had also called for the cancellation of British rock band Coldplay’s first concert in Malaysia in November as part of its Music Of The Spheres World Tour. Clearly, the opposition will ban international concerts, the same way it had banned alcohol and demolished temples, if young Malays vote for PAS.
Bersatu, the junior partner of PN coalition, will have no choice but to “kowtow” to PAS if the opposition succeeded in overthrowing the unity government. But banning pop concerts like Blackpink or Coldplay is just the appetizer. If Malay voters are dumb enough to vote for PN again, it will be emboldened to also ban other entertainment such as Netflix or other self-declared un-Islamic entertainment.
Source : Finance Twitter
The Coverage Malaysia
