BN candidates’ ntv7 ego trips

The 8.00pm 7Edition News always presents interesting morsels in their General Election Campaign reports for public consumption. Television reports from 26 -28 February revealed a crying need amongst BN candidates to jack up personal as well as party morale via ‘ego trips’.

This publicity addiction is perhaps a hazard for any public figure who has become used to grand receptions and ostentatious shows of praise. Half a century of adulation or ‘hero worship’ has no doubt turned the heads of incumbent BN candidates, making them feel a deep and crying need to respond to the discomfort of challenge with ego tripping. This was particularly obvious on the 28 February ‘feel good’ news.

Sharizat, the Lembah Pantai BN candidate and a frequent ‘ego tripper’, appeared on the streets of the constituency, meeting a crowd of ‘lower income’ electorate. She never fails to take the opportunity to use the media to her best advantage. Despite being a famous politician and incumbent Minister, she still felt the need to boost her own confidence by singing her own praises, publicly listing all she claimed to have done for these constituents. It is a wonder that someone so famous for her service to the people should have to do that for the benefit of people who already know about it and allegedly benefited from her service.

Her opponent, Nurul Izah Anwar, daughter of PKR adviser Anwar Ibrahim, had a far simpler line for voters, saying she was committed to serving the people, if given the chance to do so. ntv7 in its usual partisan manner, commented, “Few expect the young woman to unseat the minister, at least for now…”

Perhaps, our ‘feel good’ channel felt a momentary ‘pang’ of sympathy, for this young first-timer, or a twinge of guilt at being obviously biased towards the BN in much of its reporting.

Apart from this, much of the BN electioneering reports were the various public relations exercises that sprang no surprises, with outgoing PM Abdullah Badawi directing the electorate not to give even one term in State government to the Opposition. On the previous day’s 7Edition news he had adamantly stated that the government never lied about the rise in fuel prices. This may be true, but there was no reassurance that it would tackle the hardship caused to the lower income electorate by any such price hike. Badawi said the BN had proved itself. Maybe he is right, but what they have proved themselves to be, is for the electorate to decide.

A much “humbled” Khairy Jamaluddin, was out in the arena bad mouthing the Opposition as usual, alleging that they were desperate to be in government. Khairy seems to have taken on a personality change, from being the ‘loud-mouthed’ Umno ultra to the ‘kampong-boy-next-door’. His chameleon-like quality is very well exhibited.

Another big and no less interesting personality, is the outgoing DPM, Najib Razak, avidly supporting the BN campaign in Kelantan. In a statement weeks ago, he urged the Kelantanese to opt for change in the state, which is a Pas stronghold and the only state in Malaysia to have an Opposition state government.

It is for the Kelantanese to decide whether this call for change justifiably applies to their state. Nonetheless, Najib Razak’s call for change might justifiably apply to the rest of the country.

On 28 February evening, Najib decided to pull a few goodies out of his gunny sack for Felda settlers, promising to make Felda an international brand name and stating with satisfaction that settlers were now earning RM3,000 per month. Good for those who are, what about the rest of the poor Malays?

Safe as an ostrich

Like an ostrich that buries its head in the sand thinking that if it cannot see its enemies, its enemies cannot see it, the BN seems to be trying to evade the fundamental problems faced by the lower-income electorate. The media are full of ‘sunshine stories’ about Malaysia’s wonderful economic performance in the global market place. In contrast, they hold opposition proposals to lessen poverty up to ridicule.

7Edition seems to congratulate itself in this fantasy department. Boasting that BN ‘studies everything’, Abdullah Badawi denigrated, out of hand, opposition manifesto proposals to legislate for a minimum wage of RM1,500. He said a minimum wage would put small enterprises out of business and discourage foreign investment.

He seems to have ignored the possibility of incorporating flexibility into such legislation that would still support the viability of small businesses up to the point where they would be capable of compliance with legal requirements. The minimum wage requirement would be an incentive for small enterprises to develop their businesses to a higher, more efficient and profitable standard.

The home market would in fact expand due to the increase in the spending power of lower income earners, this would spur both economic activity and investment rather than jeopardise it. Malaysia would be economically and politically stable and the existence of real democracy and socio-economic justice would be to the credit of Malaysians.

Rafidah Aziz, the flamboyant outgoing Minister of International Trade, censured PKR, telling them to ‘stop deceiving’ the electorate. ‘Superstar’ Khairy Jamaluddin, for his part, smugly warned the electorate that the country would go bankrupt if the Opposition wins.

Actually, it should be left for the electorate to decide whether to believe you or PKR.

The BN stated unequivocally and without a shadow of a doubt that it would wrest Kelantan from Pas. So confident are they.

Meanwhile, Samy Vellu, the outgoing Works Minister said he had no time for anything else but campaigning for MIC. He seems to have no constructive or innovative proposals to offer the electorate, and appears to lack a viable election manifesto, even if one exists. Things seem doubtful for ‘Aiyoyo Samy’.

Despite all the mainstream media’s hype and their complete monopoly, the BN still seems to be struggling to impress. After nearly 51 years of communal politicking in the footsteps of the former colonial power, is the neo-colonial style power structure beginning to crumble? Will the Malaysian electorate finally opt for true independence? ‘Merdeka’ in the true sense of the word?