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The Barisan 's 213 Majority: Why the Opposition Failed very time there is a General instrument of power to maximum advan­ consnuencies would help Barisan candi­ Election, those of us who tage. Needless to say. Radio and Tele­ dates to win. Similarly. in rural areas. yearn for more space and vision Malaysia (RTM), the information kampongs regarded as Pas fortresses scope for democracy to grow services and other government depart­ were sliced out of opposition strongholds -. .in this land, hold out the ments and agencies were fully mobilised and integrated into Barisan constituencies Ehope that somehow the electorate would to ensure a landslide victory for the Bari­ so that the impact of PAS votes would be discover the wisdom of strengthening the san. Nearly every newspaper in the reduced. There is some evidence to OPPOSition. In the last 12 years we have country was involved in the ruling coali­ suggest that PAS candidates in certain wa1ted in vain for that hope to materia­ tion's campaign. Journalistic ethics were constituencies in Kelantan, Trengganu lize. In the small hours of the morning of thrown to the winds, as newspapers and Kedah were victims of this sort of 4 August, as the results of the seventh manufactured l1es, distorted statements gerrymandering. The entire constituency General Election poured in, that hope by opposition politicians and smeared the re-del ineat1on exercise is a glaring was dealt a severe blow. It was all the reputation of opposition parties. example of how the authority vested with more painful because there has never As far as the Bansan was concerned, it a ruling party that knows no scruples can been another occasion like this when the was only right that the newspapers and be used against the interest of democracy. possibility of reducing the Barisan everyone else slogged for its tr:.umph. It To wage a successful campaign against Nasional's overwhelming parliamentary was. after all, the State, the government, such an unethical ruling party which had majority looked so real. It seemed as if and whatever it did had to be in the inte· bestowed upon itself all the privileges of that finally the people would be able to rest of the rakyat and the nation. Since it power, one must have an electorate which curb the dominant power of the ruling was the government, it followed that it not only realizes that things are seriously coalition and produce an opposition that was the only party that could guarantee wrong with the government but is also would have at least one-third of all the peace and stability! And indeed stability prepared to act on the basis of that seats in the Dewan Rakyat. was a major thrust of the Barisan's elec­ awareness. More than that, there must be The Barisan's Performance tion campaign. It contrasted its capacity widespread unhappiness, an extraordmary The Barisan Nasional not only kept 1ts to maintain stability with the possible level of anger, and even a certain quan­ two-third majority but went on to retain danger of a May 13th type riot 1f the tum of disgust among the voters before its four-fifth majority in Parliament. It is opposition became stronger. This manipu­ one can reduce the dominant strength of also m control of all the State Assemblies la\ion of the voter's inherent fear of riots an omnipotent political iorce like the and managed to secure about 57 per cent and chaos undoubtedly had some effect Barisan. of the popular vote. Though there is a slight drop in the percentage of votes and parliamentary seats obtained, compared Journalistic ethnics were thrown to the winds, to 1982. there is no denying that the as newspapers manufactured Ilea, distorted Bansan scored a stunning victory. (see Tables for details) statements by opposition politicians and It is now beginning to dawn on all of smeared the reputation of opposition parties. us that it is going to be very. very diffi­ cult to reduce the Barisan's two-third majority. For it is not like reducing the upon the electorate. Lack of Anger and the parliamentary majority of a ruling party If manipulation of fear and media con­ Development Factor in any ordinary, normal democracy. trol were not enough to guarantee total It was obvious that significant seg· Opposition parties and the people have to dominance, the Barisan had already made ments of the rural and semi-urban voting contend with the might of an unscru­ another move. It had re-delineated the population were not angry with the Sari­ pulously powerful State. If it is a ques­ electoral constituencies in 1984 in such a san government - in spite of all the rot tion of various part•es competing aga·nst manner that certain opposition strong­ that had set in. Perhaps they did not feel each other for the people's support in a holds would be weakened while consti­ that way partly because they saw them­ fair, free election campa1gn, then there tuencies inclined towards the Barisan selves as beneficiaries of Barisan's deve­ would be no problem. But in the seventh WO!fld be reinforced. Gerrymandenng of lopment programmes. /To be sure, a large General Election there wasn't art iota of this sort took place all over the country. number of Malay families in rural areas fairness. The Mahath1r administration had In the case of certain urban constituen­ have benefitted directly or indirectly decided that the opposition would be cies the aim was largely to dilute huge from the development process. The Bari- given a little bit of time and hardly any concentrations of Chinese voters by san, in turn, lzas succeeded in convincing. facilities to conduct its campaign, wh:le add;ng pockets of Malays. The govern­ these rural folks that it is because of the the Barisan leadership would utilize every ment hoped that the Malay vote in these Barisan leadership's goodness and gene- Allran Monthly August/September 1986 2 \ The General Election: the triumph of the 'Protector' rosily that they have received various in particular, that PAS, unlike their party, that the community - groups and indivi­ forms of assistance. They should there­ was no longer capable of protecting the duals notwithstanding- has failed to sub­ fore be grateful to the Barisan and Malay position. They even accused the ject Dotuk Scri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad express that gratitude by voting Barisan party o.f selling the 'birthright' of the and his colleagues to thorough scrutiny candidates. During the election season, Malays to the other· communities. This on major national scandals like BMF, EPF this 'gratitude for development' attitude was areference to a PAS pledge that if it and UMBC. This does not connote accep­ assumes special significance since Barisan came to power there would be no bumi­ tance of wrongdoings, one must hasten to canvassers bribe voters with all sorts of putra-non-bumiputra dichotomy and no add, but· it does seem to suggest a goodies. This distribution of goodies 'special privileges' tor any community. · It 'psychological block' when it comes to happened on a large scale in Kelantan this . also promised to prov.ide more opportu­ appraising the national leadership. It time. nities for the use and study for Chinese e-xplains to some extent why the Maha-• Protector and other non-Malay languages. thir administration has been able to get Because it is only the Barisan that The protector status of UMNO has yet away with serious misdeeds which in any seems to be providing development assis· another dimension to it which may have other society that practises democratic tance (it is of course the go~ernment), also influenced the electoral outcome. In accountability would have led inevitably rural Malay voters form the impression the relationship between protector and to the downfall of the erring regime. that it is the only group that is capable of protecting their well-being. This role that UMNO anc;l the Barisan have always Tangible Issues revealing the Barlsan's played as the protector of the Malay com­ Ineptness were drowned by· all the din caused munity was also perhaps an important factor in the coalition's strong electoral by PAS's clarion call for the establishment of showing. It is quite possible that because an Islamic State. of the economic difficulties generated by the recession, the community feels an even greater psychological need to cling to the UMNO leadership. Groups and protected, the latter does not question, Keeping the Rural Voter in communities which are burdened by a let alone challenge, the former. This is Ignorance · deep sense of insecuritY, tend to turn why on the whole, ihe Malay community Besides that, the rural Malay commu­ even more to their perceived protectors does not adopt an evaluati)!e, critical nity in particular had hardly and access to for solace during periods of uncertainty. attitude towards its leadership. As an news reports and analyses on BM F ·and At the same time, UMNO leaders had attitude, it is rooted in the feudal practice other such scandals. Compared to the succeeded in convincing a lot of the of. giving unquestioning loyalty to the English language press, the Malay dailies, Malay voters in Kelantan and Trengganu Ruler. It is partly because of this attitude even before the election campaign began, gave very limited :::overage to these epi- · sodes. Once the campaign started, all the During the election season, this 'gratitude for major national issues which had occupied developmen~' attitude assumes special so much public attention in the course of the year suddenly disappeared from the significance.since Barlsan canvassers bribe pages of our newspapers.

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