GE15: An election like no other

IT HAS been such a crazy couple of weeks in politics.

We had Cabinet ministers petitioning the King against the general election, an act that apparently infuriated the Prime Minister when he learnt about it.

An Umno leader said he had never seen Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob so angry but instead of nudging the palace against a dissolution, the petition was like declaring to the King that the government was broken beyond repair.

It was time to go back to the people.

And who would have imagined that the weather could become such a hot political issue?

The Opposition has been so effective in its #undibanjir campaign that people out there are convinced that climate change will make this a flooded election.

This despite the fact that the north-east monsoon usually starts towards the end of November, the floods arrive by late December and go on till January.

Terengganu folk often say that the floods come around Christmas and go away when the Chinese New Year begins.

And if the last general election was the mother of all elections, the coming one will be without precedent in the country’s history.

A total of six states have decided not to dissolve their state assemblies in protest against the election.

This is aside from Johor, Melaka, Sarawak and Sabah which do not need to dissolve their state assemblies.

It was basically a defiant move on the part of Pakatan Harapan, which is in charge of Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, and Perikatan Nasional, which controls Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah.

DAP in Penang was said to be quite unhappy about holding separate polls. Penang is a sure-win state and there were voices arguing in favour of simultaneous elections.

The matter was said to have been brought up to the central leadership for discussion but it was finally decided that Pakatan states must act as one.

“Winning the state election is of paramount concern but the coalition must remain intact,” said Penang Deputy Chief Minister Dr P. Ramasamy.

A question mark hangs over the Perak state assembly despite Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad having called on the Sultan twice in the past week.

Perak, like Kedah, are sitting on “stolen mandates” and this would be a good time to let the people decide.

Kedah’s Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor is a popular Mentri Besar but he will be left with a slim three-man majority if the two Umno assemblymen pull out. His government will be like a house on a slippery slope.

The decision of the Pakatan top four to go for separate election was a strategic move. The wave that carried Pakatan to power in 2018 is no longer there and postponing the state polls will enable it to focus on defending its incumbent parliamentary seats.

It will also be able to campaign in the general election as the government of the day in states under its control.

Many in Pakatan and Perikatan also think that in the event of a hung Parliament, their hand will be strengthened in defending their respective state governments.

“Why stop in the middle of the road? We want to reach the other side of the road, there is still another eight months for us to do our work,” said Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah.

But have our politicians failed to read the frustration floating out there over the political turbulence of the last few years?

Beneath the fatigue and disinterest in politics, the populace, especially the business community, is looking for political certainty.

There is so much vested interests among the politicians, be it those who pushed hard for elections this year or those who want it next year.

The voices opposing the general election had also been the loudest in condemning the “backdoor government” or “kerajaan tebuk attap,” a reference to robbers who entered through the roof.

Alor Setar-based lawyer Tan Keng Liang had initially thought that holding elections this year would be unpopular.

“I also thought it was not necessary but I was surprised that many people want to get it over with. This became quite clear after Parliament was dissolved.

“Those doing business welcome an election. They think the country is in a mess, they tell me they get a headache looking at our politics. They want to get it settled with so that they can get back to making a living,” said Tan.

The business sector, said political commentator Khaw Veon Szu, is concerned about the coming year, they know the economy will be challenging.

He said businessmen want to see consistent policies and a more stable condition to invest and do business.

Malaysia’s politics is entering new horizons.

Khaw regards it as part of democracy. Pushing boundaries, challenging the status quo and the use of social media are all part of democratic change.

The political rollercoaster of the last few years has come to this moment - a battle for control of Putrajaya but where only a handful of states will be electing their state governments.

There may be greater certainty in the next federal government but the politicking and uncertainty will carry on in states that postponed their state polls till 2023.