KUCHING, Nov 14: Even after one week into the 15th General Election (GE15), it is still politically very confusing, uncertain, hazy and messy in Peninsular Malaysia, opines a local political pundit.
Dato Peter Minos said Sarawakians are asking a pertinent question when they question which coalition will get the most parliamentary seats–Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Harapan (PH) or Perikatan Nasional (PN)?
He opined that BN which is led by United Malay National Organisation (Umno) has big internal issues caused by “dropping many good people as candidates” and that a “silent rebellion is brewing up” in addition to the issue of the party’s image being led by a “court cluster” man.
“Had Zahid (Umno president Dato’ Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) left Umno alone and not involved in GE15 and Umno affairs, BN and Umno’s fortunes would be good, but he did not and Umno now gets the worst blunt (sic),” said Minos in a statement today.
On the other hand, Minos continued, the opposition just instigates and calls Umno “a party of corruption” which is only a repeat of GE14 in 2018.
He said PH has been called a “failed” party when voters recalled its 22-month administration and the political mess it created than. It is a “very bad memory and bad image”.
Minos asserted people in the peninsula are also getting tired of ‘aging and loud-mouth’ Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) leader Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and an over ambitious PKR deputy president as well as the Anwar family dynasty is also a put-off.
He also opined that PKR’s alliance with Democratic Action Party (DAP) is viewed by peninsular Malays with disgust and suspicion.
“Even we in Sarawak dislike and feel disgust about DAP, of its bullying and haughtiness while in federal power for 22 months,” Minos claimed.
He also asserted PN is apparently losing steam and not giving much hope and excitement to peninsular people.
“When no longer PM (prime minister), (Tan Sri) Muhyiddin (Yassin) lost his clout and influence. So Bersatu (Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia) and PN are getting pretty irrelevant in peninsular politics. It is just tagging around and hoping for miracles to happen,” said Minos.
He added, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his new group is not moving and are not in the peninsular people’s imagination.
Minos believed that Dr Mahathir’s influence has already declined which is a far cry from the latter’s position in 2018 when he was the man-of-the-hour who then was leading PH against BN using the 1MDB case and GST issue, and won.
“So how? It is a fight really between BN with Umno leading and PH with PKR and Anwar riding high. PN with Muhyiddin and Tun Mahathir are trailing and trying very hard to be heard and alive,” said Minos, claiming that this was the common prediction of most political analysts in Peninsular Malaysia.
He asserted the trend among young voters has yet to be identified but it is commonly known that they want a “good and clean” government and that their decision may affect the outcome of this election.
“My prediction is that, not BN and not PH and definitely not PN or Tun Mahathir’s group will get the minimum 112 out of 222 MP seats. None. After polling on Nov 19, there will be a crazy scrambling for a coalition to get the 112-seat minimum,” said Minos.
He said Sabah is expected to be divided and thus could not be relied on, and thus, it is here that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will play a deciding role.
“GPS will decide with which group to form the coalition. GPS definitely must play hard and make good bargains for Sarawak. The groups giving the best benefits to Sarawak will be considered while others will be ignored.
“That is why Sarawakians must give GPS MPs 31 seats or nearest to it, all for the good of Sarawak. Sarawak’s future rests a lot on it,” said Minos. — DayakDaily
