Barisan Nasional Chicken Out

20 May

Posted by xBrain as Malaysia

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The Barisan Nasional (BN) supreme council announced today that the party will not contest the Penanti state assembly seat in Penang, with Datuk Seri Najib Razak insisting it was a political ploy by Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

Pakatan Rakyat versus Barisan National is synonymous with David Versus Goliath.

The two armies faced each other, camped for battle on opposite sides of a steep valley. A Philistine giant measuring over nine feet tall and wearing full armor came out each day for forty days, mocking and challenging the Israelite to fight. His name was Goliath. Saul, the King of Israel, and the whole army were terrified of Goliath.

For six decades the Goliath of Malaysian politics that is Perikatan / BN have been throwing their weight intimidating oppositions reminiscent to the forty days of mocking by Goliath.

Although Najib claimed that this is not the first time BN have skipped participating in by-elections but Malaysians especially the younger generations could not relate the relevance and would appreciate if he could provide refresher courses by furnishing detail such as the similarity of reason(s) for non participation. Otherwise, the dark perceptions will get darker.

Barisan Nasional Chicken Out

Najib does not have to recite “wallahi, wabillahi….” in mosque. The rakyats are smart enough to differentiate between facts and outright lies.

“Semua setuju” the favourite caption of Citizen Nades in the Sun newspaper replicating the state exco or councillors voices of approval whenever their votes are required. No one dare to say otherwise.

And similar shouts of ”semua setuju” would have reverberated in unison during the BN supreme council meeting. The only difference could be in its loudness. The higher the authority of the person chairing the meeting, the higher will be the decibels. But again, who on earth has the balls to say “tak setuju”. After all, those BN politicians have been trained to bark only at the opposition be it in or outside parliament. Dare to differ could only jeopardise their position and hasten their departure from the arena. Look at what happened to Shahril and Zaid.

BN the giant has become timid. The Goliath in shining armour that could inflict fatal injuries to the opponents are finally subdued. Their guts and fighting will are in tatters. The assortment of weapons in their arsenal are only good for the muzium. Once there, what benefit can those weapons provide.

Similarly, what good could instant hand-outs of projects in the constituency do if the spirit to serve has floundered. The majority of rakyat in the cyber age are intelligent enough to realise that sweets are bad for health. And the by-election or general election sweets are morally wrong. It is worse than corruptions.

In corruptions, money or favour changed hands while the showering of goodies before, during or after elections, more often than not, the recpient received only peanuts while the bigger chunks are channelled elsewhere. And the rakyats, even the remote villagers are no more those blind, dumb and illiterate creatures the ruling parties - once upon a time - thought they were.

That’s why BN chicken out. Their armoury are now useless.

BN chicken out…could not help comparing BN with the once invincible Mike Tyson who knocked out and terrorised his opponents with brute strength. Then came the day of reckoning. After failing to subdue this opponent, he bit the ear of Evander Holyfield and was disqualified. Will BN resort to the same tactic or stand and fight clean and be counted?

Stand and fight clean is not in their vocabulary especially when the opponents are getting stronger. To fight dirty will evoke the wrath of the rakyats and further erode whatever remnants of trust. So, what is the alternative?

While meandering a dark tunnel with no light in sight, all of a sudden a bulb flashes showing them a way out. Convene a supreme council meeting. Persuade (or compel) those present to shout at the top of their voice ”semua setuju”.

Once convened or look as though it really was, tell the rakyats and the world at large that it was a consensus decision, that ‘this time’ and never mind if it is only this time, a by-election is ”a waste of public funds” and so forth. Leave the rest to the BN controlled print and electronic media to weave and spin. At the very least, it could convince and please the ears of hardcore UMNO (not all BN) supporters.

But one question remain. Since when twenty million ringgit or so is bigger than five hundred million or even bigger than the billions that went down the drain in the Port Klang Free Zone fiasco?

Never mind if the majority says BN have turned yellow-belly. It is better to chicken out than fight a battle they do not have the slightest chance of winning. It is better to run than to stand up and face an opponent who can deliver a knock out punch. The humiliations will be unbearable.

Discretion is the better part of valour! Or is it???

After all, the arrogant Goliath is dead, died in the hands of a teenager with a slingshot. Will BN the Goliath meet the same fate?