Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Malaysia elections: What happened and what it means

Malaysia elections: What happened and what it means - former US ambassadorBarisan Nasional (BN), the political coalition led by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak that has ruled Malaysia for over five decades, won both the national and state elections this past Sunday, May 5. But for the first time in more than four decades, they lost the popular vote. The opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) won 52% of all votes cast, compared to BN’s 46.5%.

Both the number of voters and the turnout rate of 85% were the highest in the nation’s history, a reflection of the strong interest in this year’s elections. For the first time in history, Malaysia’s voters had a real choice between two strong political forces, with two distinct visions of Malaysia’s future. (See http://www.theislamicmonthly.com/may-5-malaysias-fate-will-be-decided/)

Malaysia’s election commission announced that BN won 133 out of 222 seats in the national Parliament, a drop of seven seats since the 2008 elections. The government also failed to attain the two-thirds majority that is needed to amend Malaysia’s constitution. However, BN’s victory means that it will hold 60% of the seats in Parliament, despite receiving less than half of the national vote. That is the result of the gerrymandering of electoral districts and also the gross imbalance in the size of those districts, which can range from less than 25,000 to over 100,000 voters. That tends to benefit rural districts, where the BN is strong, at the expense of urban voters, who favor the opposition.

In every election there are reports of voter fraud, “phantom voters,” and vote buying. The general consensus among political experts is that in past years it did not affect the ultimate outcome. This year, however, the picture is more confused. There are numerous and well-documented reports of vote buying and illegal voting. The indelible ink that the Election Commission used turned out to be easily removable.

As a consequence, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has refused so far to accept the results and says he will address the nation at a rally on Wednesday evening. The civic group Bersih, which has been leading the call for free and fair elections for several years, announced that it also is withholding recognition of the new government until its fact-finding mission is completed and public hearings are held. The group’s leader, attorney Ambiga Sreenevasan, said that the election commission “has failed to ensure a clean, free and fair election process.”

Najib lost the urban Malay vote

The ruling coalition’s victory was not good news for all its constituent parties, however. In years past the BN was seen as a multi-racial political grouping, composed of ethnic Malay, Chinese, and Indian parties. But that is no longer true. The United Malays National Organization, or UMNO, now clearly dominates the coalition. Of BN’s 122 seats, UMNO can claim 109 of them, up from 79 in the last elections, which were held in 2008.

Meanwhile MCA, the Chinese ethnic party, won only six seats; in the 2004 and 2008 elections, it won 31 and 15 seats, respectively. Gerakan, another Chinese party, fell from 10 seats in 2004 to just one seat on Sunday. The ethnic Indian party MIC won only four seats. UMNO’s Chinese and Indian partners basically are disappearing as major political forces in Malaysia.

As for UMNO, its gains came primarily in the rural areas. As before, it took a major drubbing in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur and in Malaysia’s most important and economically advanced states, Selangor and Penang. For the first time, it lost seats in the State of Johor, another important economic center next to Singapore.

Although Najib and others say that they lost votes because of a Chinese “tsunami” and “racial polarization,” that is not the whole story. They also lost the urban Malay vote, just as they did in 2008. Kadir Jasin, who was the longtime editor-in-chief of the New Straits Times (which is owned by UMNO), wrote that it is not just a Chinese tsunami; it is also a Malaysian tsunami “that is centered on the aspirations and a new reality, especially among young voters.”

The opposition picked up 22 seats from the government coalition and made inroads for the first time into the states of Johor, Sabah, and Sarawak. But UMNO was able to wrest 15 seats back from the opposition, all in rural Malay areas. Rural Malaysian voters generally are seen as less sophisticated than their urban cousins, and they are less likely to have access to the internet and alternative media that the opposition used. Instead they rely on television, radio, and newspapers — all of which are under control of the government and the ruling party. They were barraged continuously with pro-government, anti-opposition propaganda and told that Malay privileges would be taken away if the opposition came to power, that Islam would be abolished as the official religion, and that a Chinese would become Prime Minister. With low income levels, they were vulnerable to the cash handouts that Najib’s government made to them, using public monies.

What happens now?

Opposition may yet have its day

Najib was sworn in as Prime Minister on Monday, May 6 and will form his government shortly. Anwar will address the nation on Wednesday, and stories of electoral fraud will continue to swirl.

Before the elections, Anwar said that if the opposition loses, he will step down from politics. But Anwar personally was reelected to Parliament, and he is likely to continue as leader of the opposition. If he quits now, it would be a major setback to the opposition.

As for Najib, his leadership of his party likely will come under challenge. Although he and the government “won,” it was their worst showing in history. The number of seats held by the governing coalition in Parliament and the state houses went down. They lost the popular vote at both the national and the state levels. Najib’s opponents within the party no doubt already are thinking about how to bring him down by the time of the party elections later this year. Behind the scenes, that could involve leaking details of the various allegations of corruption that surround Najib and his wife.

Najib’s likely successor is the current Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who famously said, “I am a Malay first and a Malaysian second.” Muhyiddin is not seen as a reformer; to the contrary, he is seen as a product of the “UMNO system.”

Because BN achieved its support this year primarily from the Malays and especially the rural Malay community, Muhyiddin and his associates are likely to resist any attempt by Najib to reach out to other ethnic communities or to ease the special privileges that so many Malays have come to see as their birth right. Utusan, the Malay-language daily that serves as UMNO’s mouthpiece, had a two page headline on Tuesday, screaming in red ink, “What More Do the Chinese Want?” Najib, who had promised national reconciliation the day before, defended the paper.

Because these same politicians have benefited from their close relationships to certain businessmen (and the businessmen in turn have benefited from their relations with the politicians), they also are likely to resist any serious efforts at economic reform. The markets clearly signaled this the day after the elections, when the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange’s composite index (KLCI) hit a record high. The KLCI is composed of just 31 stocks, most of which are the companies of the so-called “cronies.” Rather than a vote of confidence in the prospects for reform, it just as easily could be seen as a signal that the markets expect “business as usual” to continue in Malaysia, so buying stock in those companies therefore is a good investment.

Therein lies the irony and the difficulty for UMNO. If it wants to appeal to the “new Malaysia” — the Malaysia that voted against it and for the opposition last Sunday — then it has to change the very nature of its being. But if it does that, then it risks losing the support of those who have kept it in power.

All this provides yet another chance for the opposition. The demographics of Malaysia are changing in its favor. The nation is becoming younger and more urban, and more aware of what is happening in the outside world. The opposition may yet have its day in Malaysia.

-http://www.theislamicmonthly.com

94 comments:
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  1. WITH the conclusion of the 13th General Election and the swearing in of Datuk Seri Najib Razak as prime minister, the concern now is to move the nation forward and to ensure unity and harmony remain intact, and to allow the government to fulfil the pledges in its manifesto.

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  2. During the past few months, we saw the nation embroiled in heated debates and accusations. This election has caused racial polarisation. I am glad Najib gave his word that he would act fairly and responsibly to ensure unity remains intact.

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  3. Unless political parties correct the situation, we will continue to see ugly scenes and vicious remarks made against one another in the months to come. Let's not waste time on the political arena. Let's move on to build our nation.

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  4. All political leaders should close ranks and allow the nation to return to normalcy after the election, as Barisan Nasional won the most number of parliamentary seats to steer the nation to a better and prosperous future and to achieve Vision 2020.

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  5. The opposition should be gracious in defeat to accept the decision of the people. The people's wishes and aspirations about the government they want should be honoured.

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  6. We have come a long way since the first election and the 13th General Election points to the fact that the people have matured and taken seriously their obligations as citizens to vote responsibly.

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  7. As one nation, one spirit and in one accord, we will move on to carve a better future for all of us in this great country of ours.

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  8. Former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi says his successor Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is still the best person to continue leading the country after the general election. Abdullah said he was giving Najib his full support and hoped the latter would continue with his agenda for transformation.

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  9. "Malaysians have sent a clear message that they want change and Datuk Seri Najib must respond to this by intensifying his transformation programme to address issues such as corruption, crime and the cost of living. "I believe he has the right strategies in place to demonstrate improvement in these areas," Abdullah said in a statement today.

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  10. Abdullah is currently in Bahrain to attend the 31st InterAction Council Annual meeting. Najib, who succeeded Abdullah on April 3, 2009, won a new mandate when Barisan Nasional secured 133 of the 222 parliamentary seats in last Sunday's general election to form the Federal Government.

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  11. Abdullah also called for national unity and reconciliation, saying that there must not be any attempt to racialise the election results by unfairly blaming any particular community.

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  12. CONGRATULATIONS to Datuk Seri Musa Aman for leading Barisan Nasional to victory in Sabah

    After studying the results in the newspaper, I am sad to say that they are far from satisfying. It is a far cry from the results five years ago when Sabah BN achieved a landslide victory. The opposition had only managed to secure one state seat.

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  13. CONGRATULATIONS to Datuk Seri Musa Aman for leading Barisan Nasional to victory in Sabah

    The results show a general dissatisfaction among the communities over the performance of the present administration, leading to the defeat of several BN stalwarts and close calls in some constituencies.

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  14. CONGRATULATIONS to Datuk Seri Musa Aman for leading Barisan Nasional to victory in Sabah

    The opposition's strong showing may have also been helped by deserters or disloyal members who were not selected for the contest. This is a strong signal of the need for change. This is indeed a moment to reflect rather than to celebrate.

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  15. CONGRATULATIONS to Datuk Seri Musa Aman for leading Barisan Nasional to victory in Sabah

    The results are a wake-up call for Sabah BN leaders as well as our prime minister. It is evident that voters go for performers and not celebrities. And, quite frankly, BN Sabah is lucky to come through alive. It could have gone the other way, a modern-day Titanic.

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  16. CONGRATULATIONS to Datuk Seri Musa Aman for leading Barisan Nasional to victory in Sabah

    This is an area where some honest soul-searching is required to stop the slide in people's support and improve the situation in the next five years. The opposition was able to make inroads in many areas as they understand the people's problems, and their messages resonate with them.

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  17. CONGRATULATIONS to Datuk Seri Musa Aman for leading Barisan Nasional to victory in Sabah

    BN must now select a team of workers who are prepared to leave the comfort of their air-conditioned office and turun padang to serve the people. The opposition can be subdued as they are immature in the ways they engage in distasteful tactics during the election campaign.

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  18. CONGRATULATIONS to Datuk Seri Musa Aman for leading Barisan Nasional to victory in Sabah

    I also notice the opposition candidates are poor losers in the way they complain about voting fraud, indelible ink and other trivial matters, post-election. When I went to cast my vote, I noticed everything was quite normal. All the workers were friendly and helpful, even the returning officer joked with me.

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  19. CONGRATULATIONS to Datuk Seri Musa Aman for leading Barisan Nasional to victory in Sabah

    If the BN government wants any change in their transformation programmes, the moment for such change has arrived. We need dedicated and committed leaders to make this a happy nation.

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  20. Without a 10-day advance notice, police have classified the gathering by the opposition at Kelana Jaya Stadium tonight as illegal.

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  21. Selangor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah said although the organisers had obtained permission from the stadium for use of the facilities, they only informed the police on Wednesday.

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  22. He said this was not in accordance with the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012.

    “Under the PAA, the organisers must inform the police of a gathering ten days in advance.

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  23. “This would enable the police to gain feedback from the residents in the area and coordinate manpower to maintain security as well as ensure smooth traffic,” he told.

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  24. He added that it would be unfair to the residents.

    “The best option is to postpone the rally for another 10 days but the organisers refused,” he said.

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  25. However, Tun Hisan said police would avoid any confrontation with the organisers or participants in the spirit of peaceful assembly.

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  26. “We will gather evidence and review whether action can be taken against the organisers or participants,” he said.

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  27. With talk on an apparent 'Chinese tsunami' at the recently concluded 13th general election (GE13), not much has been said about MIC and the would-be consequences of MCA pulling out of top government posts on the party.

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  28. While MCA lost 8 parliamentary seats in comparison to the 15 won in GE12, MIC won four, one better than in the last election. Umno, being the core of the coalition, fared better, winning 88 parliamentary seats as compared to 79 previously.

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  29. MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel triumphed over DAP for the Cameron Highlands seat, while his deputy Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam took out Datuk Chua Jui Meng of PKR in Segamat.

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  30. Datuk M. Saravanan retained his Tapah seat and P. Kamalanathan retained his Hulu Selangor seat. Meanwhile, MIC only won 5 out of the 18 state seats it contested.

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  31. The pertinent question now is would MIC be given a bigger role in cabinet, especially as MCA may not see a representative in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's cabinet line-up.

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  32. It could be said that the Indian community are not as angry at MIC as the Chinese appear to be at MCA.

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  33. Despite Hindraf pledging its support to BN, and Zulkifli Noordin contesting in Shah Alam on a BN ticket, Indians did not show a major swing away from MIC.

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  34. Ever since Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu stepped down, there has been no strong Indian representation in BN's cabinet. Although Subramaniam held the portfolio of Human Resources Minister, a larger allocation may be appropriate to acknowledge the support Indians have been giving to MIC.

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  35. In gaining one parliamentary seat more than in the last election, MIC has proven that they have not entirely lost the Indian community's support and is deemed as still relevant in the face of the political upheaval the country is facing.

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  36. Before GE13, BN already saw a void made up of several cabinet favourites, namely Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, who was dropped entirely from the election lineup; Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil, who announced she was stepping down; as well as Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen,ho made it clear she would not defend her Raub seat.

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  37. GE13 then saw several favourites becoming casualties. Among them were Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, who lost his Temerloh seat; Datuk Heng Seai Kie (Padang Serai); Datuk Chor Chee Heung (Alor Setar); Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha (Lumut); Datuk Raja Nong Chik (Lembah Pantai); Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed (Sepang) and Senator A Kohilan Pillay (Puchong)

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  38. Najib must now form a cabinet that will probably be made up of several fresh faces, and it could be a good time to give MIC a stronger presence.

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  39. Subramaniam, who is a dermatologist by profession, may serve well as the Health Minister in Najib's new cabinet.

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  40. Meanwhile, Datuk Seri Palanivel, a former journalist, may be considered as the Information, Communication and Culture Minister, but let's not forget that Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin's journalistic background did not see him fare too well in the post during Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's time.

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  41. Palanivel, who was formerly with the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP), would probably be more suited as the Domestic Trade, Co-Operative and Consumerism Minister.

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  42. Despite the political turmoil, Kamalanathan managed to win the Hulu Selangor by-election in 2010 after the death of its incumbent Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad and retained the seat in GE13.

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  43. Some say he might be too young for a cabinet portfolio, but at 47, Kamalanathan has proven that he can gain the support of all races, while championing the needs of Indians.

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  44. A possible portfolio for him might be Samy Vellu's old post as Works Minister, held by Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor after Samy Vellu lost his Sungai Siput parliamentary seat in the previous election.

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  45. BN needs to recalculate its move and restrategize the coalition between Umno, MCA and MIC. The formula that has been used all this while has failed, and MCA has paid the price for that.

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  46. However, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday remarked that a lack of good Chinese representation in BN's cabinet would not be good for a multi-racial country.

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  47. While MIC still has a breathing chance, BN should acknowledge that and give it a boost of confidence by showing the rakyat that no race is being sidelined or overlooked.

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  48. Najib fought hard to convince the Indians to stay with BN by launching his 'Nambikei' programme prior to GE13. Nambikei, meaning trust, proved to be powerful enough to sway sentiments, keeping a majority of the Indian votes with BN.

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  49. This would be a chance for Najib to redeem BN by fronting a young and vibrant cabinet, particularly to make up for the 7 parliamentary seats the party lost in GE13.

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  50. Barisan Nasional (BN) supporters should not be dismayed with results of the 13th general election (GE13) as the important thing is the party can form the government.

    Veteran Umno leader Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said BN should not be angry with sentiments played by various parties post GE13.

    "It is important for BN to fulfill promises made in its manifesto. Numbers such as 140 (parliamentary) seats in 2008 and 133 in 2013 will always be remembered.

    "However, BN managed to get back Kedah," he said in the 'Hello Malaysia' talk show aired on Bernama TV last night.

    The people will see the honesty of the BN government after several weeks or after several months.

    Rais said BN will never bow to opposition efforts to create discontent among the people towards the government.

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  51. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will take the country to greater heights if the Barisan Nasional is returned to power in the next general election, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

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  52. Dr Mahathir said it was not easy to stabilise a multiracial country for there were many challenges confronting the leaders as well as the people.

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  53. “This is a multiracial, multireligious, multilingual and multicultural country. As wealth, economic growth and development are shared by each other, it is a challenge for the leaders to manage all this aspects at the same time to ensure stability and peace in the country.

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  54. “For example, the European crisis has affected Europe and the United States, (the economy of) a lot of countries are not growing, but we are still growing,” he said

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  55. He said as most of opposition supporters were from the younger generation who were always hungry for change, the opposition manipulated the word “change”.

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  56. “Since the younger generation is always asking for change, it is easier for the opposition to gain their support because what they need is to promise something new.

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  57. “But quite often when change takes place we may get something worse,” he said.

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  58. Dr Mahathir said the younger generation were less appreciative of what they have for they were not even born when the older generation were struggling to gain independence from the British colonial power

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  59. Abdul Taib, who is also state BN chairman, was commenting on BN's victory in the 13th General Election (GE13) in Sarawak where the coalition secured 25 of the 31 constituencies. He said the narrow defeats suffered by BN, particularly in the three urban constituencies of Miri, Sibu and Sarikei in the election had shown that the coalition still commanded good support in the area, but the tide was against them this time.

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  60. "The government's policies on rural development received wide support. Although we have overcome many issues concerning urban areas, the response from voters is still not satisfactory," he said in a press conference at his official residence here.

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  61. Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak hari ini merakamkan penghargaan kepada pengundi dan seluruh rakyat Malaysia kerana memilih semula Barisan Nasional (BN) bagi mentadbir kerajaan pusat.

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  62. Perdana menteri berkata sokongan yang diberikan itu telah membolehkan kerajaan BN memimpin negara ini bagi tempoh lima tahun akan datang.

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  63. Saya juga mengucapkan terima kasih kepada jentera BN yang telah bekerja bertungkus lumus bagi memastikan BN menubuhkan kerajaan persekutuan," katanya sejurus selepas BN memperoleh majoriti mudah 112 kerusi pada pilihan raya umum ke-13 (PRU13).

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  64. Perdana menteri berharap semua pihak dapat menerima keputusan itu yang memperlihatkan amalan demokrasi berjalan dengan telus.

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  65. Najib yang juga pengerusi BN berkata dengan keputusan itu serta demi kepentingan negara, beliau berharap pakatan pembangkang dapat menerima keputusan itu dengan hati terbuka dan membenarkan proses demokrasi berjalan dengan baik dan lancar selepas BN membentuk kerajaan pusat.

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  66. Najib berkata kemenangan yang dicatat BN amat bermakna memandangkan parti itu bukan sahaja menghadapi tentangan hebat dalam tempoh 14 hari berkempen, tetapi sejak lima tahun lepas.

    "Walaupun tentangan begitu hebat yang telah kita hadapi bukan sahaja sepanjang 14 hari berkempen tetapi sejak lima tahun lepas mereka cuba mengganggu gugat dan menjatuhkan BN tetapi Alhamdulillah kita kembali berkuasa.

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  67. "Ini satu pencapaian yang boleh kita banggakan yakni BN hari ini merupakan parti yang terus menerus tanpa terhenti berkuasa di bumi Malaysia yang bertuah ini," katanya.

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  68. Menyelar tindakan pembangkang yang menimbulkan fitnah dan tuduhan tidak berasas termasuk menuduh BN 'mengimport' warga Bangladesh sebagai pengundi, Najib berkata tindakan jahat itu senjaga dibuat untuk menimbulkan kemarahan rakyat kepada BN.

    "Inilah antara putar belit yang dilakukan pembangkang untuk menimbulkan kemarahan rakyat terhadap BN. Mereka melontar isu-isu yang berbaur perkauman untuk menimbulkan kebencian kepada BN, mereka fitnah, tuduh kita macam-macam tetapi rakyat memilih juga BN

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  69. Najib berkata BN akan menggunakan mandat lima tahun yang diberikan sebaik mungkin, terutama untuk mengukuhkan BN sebagai sebuah parti dan memastikan parti itu akan berkhidmat dengan lebih gigih dan lebih bersemangat untuk rakyat Malaysia.

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  70. Mudah-mudahan dengan kemenangnan ini kita akan gunakan mandat ini...inilah satu amanah daripada rakyat dan kita mesti dengan penuh rendah diri menggunakan amanah ini untuk kebaikan dan kepentingan rakyat dan negara.

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  71. Mudah-mudahan dengan sikap sedemikian, dengan penuh tawadduk dan rendah diri, kita akan berkhidmat kepada rakyat dan BN akan terus menerus menjadi parti yang mencapai rekod yang terbaik di dunia, Insya-Allah," katanya.

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  72. BN harus banyak membaiki kelemahannya.

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  73. PRU13 dirumus adalah tidak adil dan bersih. Banyak sindiket yang tidak banyak.

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  74. Kami menanti apakah tindakan akan diambil oleh Anwar dalam beberap minggu ini.

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  75. Demokrasi Malaysia telah kiamat sebenarnya.

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  76. Mereka masih tidak sedar apakah sebab mereka melompat parti ke pembangkang.

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  77. Pada PRU13, BN memenangi 133 daripada 222 kerusi Parlimen dengan Umno kekal sebagai tonggak gabungan itu apabila menyumbangkan 88 kerusi.

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  78. Perdana menteri berkata pencapaian Umno pada pilihan raya umum kali ini adalah lebih baik berbanding 2008 meskipun diasak dan diserang pelbagai tohmahan serta fitnah daripada pembangkang.

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  79. "Tapi, pada akhirnya rakyat Malaysia telah membuat keputusan bahawa mereka ingin kepada kestabilan, kesinambungan dan ingin melihat agenda pembangunan dan transformasi yang dibawa BN diteruskan," katanya.

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  80. Sempena ulang tahun Umno ke-67 hari ini, Najib mengajak pemimpin dan anggota Umno supaya bermuhasabah dan menginsafi diri dengan memperbetulkan kelemahan bagi menarik semula sokongan rakyat dalam menghadapi pilihan raya umum akan datang.

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  81. "Jangan angkuh dan sombong. Kita berjaya kerana rakyat suka, sokong dan percaya. Ingatkan diri sepanjang masa, tak kira pemimpin besar atau akar umbi Umno bahawa kesudahannya rakyat yang akan tentukan kelangsungan dan kekuasaan parti (Umno)," katanya.

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  82. BN is the Government, that is what happens!October 16, 2013 at 4:32 PM

    Barisan Nasional won 133 parliamentary seats at the 13th general election to record a slightly reduced performance compared to 2008 but managed to wrest Kedah from Pakatan Rakyat.

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  83. BN is the Government, that is what happens!October 16, 2013 at 4:32 PM

    The Pakatan Rakyat coalition of PKR, PAS and DAP won 89 seats.

    The ruling coalition failed to regain Selangor and Penang while retaining Perak with a slim three-seat majority, due to what Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak described as a "Chinese tsunami".

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  84. BN is the Government, that is what happens!October 16, 2013 at 4:33 PM

    While Peninsular Malay and Bumiputra voters from Sabah and Sarawak mostly kept their faith in Barisan to deliver the ruling coalition a two-thirds victory, Chinese voters rewarded Pakatan Rakyat and particularly the DAP with 38 seats.

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  85. BN is the Government, that is what happens!October 16, 2013 at 4:33 PM

    "There was a tsunami among the Chinese community which supported the Opposition," Najib told a press conference at Barisan headquarters at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

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  86. BN is the Government, that is what happens!October 16, 2013 at 4:33 PM

    Najib also noted the racial polarisation in the trend of voting, and said this could lead to conflicts in society if it was not dealt with.

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  87. BN is the Government, that is what happens!October 16, 2013 at 4:34 PM

    "Therefore, we will undertake a process of national reconciliation so that we can set aside any extremism and communalism with policies based on moderation."

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  88. BN is the Government, that is what happens!October 16, 2013 at 4:35 PM

    The much anticipated increase in support by Indian voters appeared to have been muted with MIC winning four parliamentary seats, the same number which the party held going into the polls.

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  89. BN is the Government, that is what happens!October 16, 2013 at 4:35 PM

    While the sentiments of Malay voters were mixed, a swing towards Barisan managed to off-set the slide in the level of Chinese voter support towards the ruling coalition.

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  90. BN is the Government, that is what happens!October 16, 2013 at 4:35 PM

    Barisan's weaker performance compared to the 138 parliament seats it won in the last general election is likely to be the focus of the coalition's election post-mortem.

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  91. BN is the Government, that is what happens!October 16, 2013 at 4:36 PM

    The outcome is also expected to feature prominently at the internal party elections scheduled later this year for Barisan component parties such as Umno, MCA and Gerakan.

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  92. BN is the Government, that is what happens!October 16, 2013 at 4:36 PM

    Najib thanked voters for their support of the coalition to continue to lead the country.

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  93. BN is the Government, that is what happens!October 16, 2013 at 4:37 PM

    "I hope for the sake of the country that all sides especially the Opposition will accept this decision with an open heart and allow the democratic process to proceed smoothly.

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  94. BN is the Government, that is what happens!October 16, 2013 at 4:37 PM

    "The will of the people must be respected. There have been several improvements made to the election process," he said.

    The Barisan chairman reaffirmed that all pledges in the Barisan manifesto would be fulfilled, and a mechanism created to monitor their implementation.

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