Off To The Hustings

Our expectations were sustained by so much on talk of ETD (Estimated Time of Departure) as we waited for this moment ever since April 3 when parliament was finally dissolved. Between then and yesterday (April 20), there was much speculation about changing party affiliations, divided opinions, swapping of stripes, offers and double deals and plenty of back scratching if not outright stabbing.

At the close of nominations we had a total of 1,900 candidates – the highest ever number to contest elections in Malaysia harbouring ambitions of becoming our representatives in 222 parliamentary seats (Member of Parliament – MPs) and 505 state seats to become our State Assemblymen or Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (which somehow sounds better). No one is getting a free ride this time as every seat is to be contested. Apart from simple head-to-heads (132 parliament and 320 state seats), there are several multi-cornered fights – including one Parliamentary and one state seat where a crowded cast of seven contestants have tossed their hats into this single ring. Think PAS and PKR are bedmates? There are seven fights where they are squaring off against each other – talk about tidor sebantal tapi mimpi lain-lain (couples sharing the same bed but dream different dreams). Gender divide still alive? Men still outnumber women 1,732 to 168.

The BN has a bit of housekeeping to do post nomination. In Kuala Kangsar, Datuk Kamilia Ibrahim showed hell hath fury like a business class sitter forced to downgrade. Having tasted life in the Federal capital, she balked when the party shunted her to a state seat, dangling her the carrot of an exco position. She refused, insisting on fighting for her parliamentary position. She promptly got the sack which invited more than just the opprobrium of everyone from party leader downwards.

Over in Pasir Mas, Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali’s actions created a bit of a bluster as his mere act of turning up to fill in his nomination papers somehow cowed the prospective BN candidate to meekly withdraw and decided not to contest - much to the chagrin of his state and national leaders. Retribution will no doubt follow but for the moment, all that can be mustered appears to be a half-hearted “nanti kau..” (you just wait!).

The BN should see this coming. Well before nominations, Ibrahim had sent signals that he expected the BN to adopt him to contest under their banner. He after all, had always taken a pro-BN line on most major issues and therefore IS the party candidate in all but name. When his offer was spurned, Ibrahim loudly protested at this snub and announced that he would contest but remain an Independent. With deprecating humour, he baited BN by saying he’d even consider using a “katak puru” (tadpole) logo if it existed in the EC list of logos. For those in the know,Ibrahim has earned the reputation of a bouncy yo yo and awarded the nickname of katak (frog) for having jumped ship once too often.

The opposition too has shown it has not got its house in order as there are seven fights in which PAS is facing PKR – and you thought they were indivisibly, ideologically hitched at the hips.

The presence of the independents cannot be ignored nor underestimated. The most famous of course was and still is, Maimun Yusuf, at 94 must be the world’s oldest candidate - she is still at it again this year. In the last elections in 2008, she polled 685 votes in the battle for Kuala Terengganu. There, PAS’ Mat Sabu lost to BN’s Razali Ismail by 628 votes!