Let me look at it from your perspective Pakatan supporters: You absolutely believe that this government has failed in its obligations to its people.
That it has introduced lots of politicians and high-office aspirants to becoming self-serving, and corrupt, and if left to continue, will only continue to plunder and pillage.
You believe that the racial integration promotion is only lip service and the intent of the government, predominantly controlled by Umno, with the other three coalition members, MCA, MIC, Gerakan plus smaller coalition partners both in East and West just ‘ass kissers' while just wanting to maintain the status quo.
You see this government as having no policies or economic plans to build strong human capital, only there to fill its deep pockets.
And the three themes I hear constantly being bandied about this government are that it is perceived to have the highest levels of corruptness, interested in maintaining past affirmative action practices, and loves vote rigging.
I use the term "perceived" only because once these things keep getting airplay by the opposition propaganda machinery. And once you've heard it repeatedly, it's easy to fall into the trap of believing the situation is endemic.
And all this can just be spun without facts and evidence being presented.
If there is evidence, they can and should take a case up against government
After all the courts In Selangor or Penang are free from fear and favour...are they not?
If not, why not?
Bring the Scorpene submarine purchase details to court...bring the George Kent Ampang LRT issue front and centre.
But no one has these details to take it all the way to getting a real conclusion, do they?
If they could bring the Altantuya case to court then they surely can bring these and more to courts.
But they have not - maybe they are afraid, maybe they just can't find adequate evidence.
I can see why you think change of this government can address all the ‘bad stuff' which has accumulated in 50 years.
Throw the entire lot out and you can start building afresh. Nice simple plan. Vote opposition, problem solved - not!
Problem I see is here is, there is no detailed "Get BN out strategy" by the opposition.
I keep asking this one question constantly: What will Malaysian politics look like if BN was removed at this time?
Would ethnic or religious identities and corruption disappear from politics if the opposition, Pakatan Rakyat came to power?
This question plus more are why I keep challenging the viability of the opposition coalition and keep referring to them as fractured and ineffective in my social network postings.
Let's look at their "Capture Putrajaya" strategy for instance.
It's in shambles with their lack of unity and deep polarisation of philosophies.
Their only common agenda are the war chants of "Get BN out" or more aptly "Pakatan for Putrajaya".
Firstly, we don't need rhetoric. What we need are clear well thought out plans.
We need tactical solutions. We need to know if Pakatan are planning to cut revenue, if so, how will the find funds to sponsor their ideas?
Another example of their limited strategy; let's see how they fared in 2008. They won four states the last election.
Pakatan's platform for 2008 elections, ‘Ubah Sekarang, Selamatkan Malaysia!' emphasised the following initiatives;
- expansion of democratic rights and institutions such as an independent judiciary;
- creation of a just and fair society that provides all people with equal opportunities regardless of ethnicity, religion and culture;
- elimination of corruption and other unfair and discriminatory practices that hinder equal and fair distribution of public resources;
- and elimination of undemocratic apparatuses and practices, notably the Internal Security Act (ISA).
Their marketing of the ‘absence' of the above initiatives under the BN regime provided a common ground for opposition parties to come and fight together, leading to their impressive electoral victories in 2008.
And then what?
1. PAS has decided they will play moral police in Kedah by angering its non-Muslim community with its lack of consultation or consideration.
2. Selangor PKR government is shows its inexperience playing in the big leagues and its menteri besar while a good man, can't seem to get his minions under control.
3. Penang still claims they are balancing the budget...what has Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng done in terms of providing more affordable homes in a state that has higher costs of living than say Perak or Pahang?
And what has BN done in all this time?
Exactly what Pakatan slated out to do - they have removed ISA while improving judiciary transparency.
They are taking corruption eradication seriously while giving Malaysians, regardless of race opportunities, to excel in business.
So, how I see it all this playing out is:
Kedah will swing back to BN, thanks to PAS themselves, whereas Selangor could just see a slim win for Pakatan to keep the state, but will further show cracks in their ability to govern efficiently
That then leaves Penang and Kelantan with opposition running the show...and before you know it, the so called ‘big upsets' of the past are forgotten.
All because their lack of unity, the unity they had in and prior to 2008 elections, will be replaced with fault finding and internal bickering.
All these cries of "political tsunami" and trumped up stats have become yesterday's news. Pakatan will show they don't have sustaining power.
It's already showing. BN has knocked the wind of their sails by taking the very agenda Pakatan was pitching on and did a better sell with better marketing.
Just a simple example - winning the swing voters, the Indian and Chinese communities - the PM has gone all out to get the support and is doing a better job than DS Anwar making the sales pitch.
One might argue otherwise. But the reality is BN propaganda machinery has done a better job explaining and implementing its reform machinery.
Pakatan on the other hand look like bumblers who keep contradicting themselves.
PAS disagrees with Anwar, PAS disagrees with DAP, but PKR and DAP need PAS if they want to have a chance to upstage BN, so they have to somehow keep the disagreements low key.
But that's just not going to happen because PAS won't want to keep their disagreements behind doors.
Some other points to ponder - just because us "Malaysians mudah lupa (forget easily):
1. DS Anwar is a NEP supporter...always has been.
He might claim he is pursuing equal rights and believes in giving everyone a fair go...but a wolf in sheep's clothing is still a wolf.
2. Pakatan is just another political party looking out for its best interest.
Clear evidence of this - when the Hindraf protests occurred, Anwar and his band of merry men (including Lim Kit Siang and son), and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang up till then who claimed BN is anti-civil society, did not translate those divisive ethnocentric sentiments and demands into political action.
Instead, they chose to stay mute.
Suddenly the champions of everyone...decided to conveniently stay quiet and hoped the protests would decimate and erode BN's popularity amongst ethnic Indians.
And it did.
So Pakatan, without lifting a finger (but possibly instigating this group with the whole "unfair treatment" whispers) saw some of the Perak and Selangor electorates switch sides.
3. Let's look at the self-referred ‘people's coalition' internal dynamics:
PKR is Malay-Muslim dominant and led by the most charismatic and powerful Malaysian Muslim leader to date, DS Anwar Ibrahim, a Malay ultra.
DAP is non-Muslim based and dominated by ethnic Chinese;
PAS is a puritanical Islamist party.
They didn't want to come to aid of a few pitiful screaming and protesting Indians with no real agenda themselves...but they sure as hell hoped it would play to their benefit and it did.
This plus their weak fake compromises on issues regarding their core identities and interests, in order to achieve their political goals and survival, helped win them a significant 2008 increase in votes.
So all in all my take - just changing political parties will not see any change to state, political, economic and socio-cultural institutions created to serve the identity-based interests that has lasted several decades.
It will not easily go away even if regime change rids Malaysia of the‘authoritarian' rule and BN falls from power.
Popular interests and demands will continue to be defined and organised through collective identities based on ethnicity, religion, culture, or some combination of these characteristics.
Regardless of whoever takes over Putrajaya, the new regime will have to negotiate and balance contending communal demands and interests.
And with the dynamics that I just highlighted that forms the Pakatan core, it does not take a brain surgeon to see that there is no such thing as "equality" in the Pakatan alliance.
We are left uncertain whether the much-waited "transition to democracy" will in fact bring a peaceful and happy future for all Malaysians as many had wished.