At the threshold of a new political era

A dinner hosted by a state minister at a leading restaurant in town on Tuesday was just about to enter its second dish when news on the possible outcome of the Permatang Pauh by election started to pour in.

Beeping sound of short messaging system kept interrupting the dinner amid conversation mostly on politics among those present.

Even before the dessert was served, a guest at the dinner declared in the room of two tables that Anwar Ibrahim had won the seat with a majority of not less than 17,000.

That was the unofficial result declared by PKR with the news already widely spread over various news sources on the internet.

By the time the Election Commission declared Anwar the winner at 9.50pm with a majority of 15,671 votes, the dinner was well over with all the guests returning home retiring for the night.

The anxiousness among those present at the dinner and likewise the whole Malaysians is understandable as the result of the by election, held five months after the March 8 general election may be a defining moment for the country, not so much on the Anwar’s return as an MP after his 10 years absent, but a change in the political dominance of BN which has ruled the country for 51 years.

The Permatang Pauh constituency is a reflection of national demographic profile with 69 per cent of the population being the Malays, 25 per cent Chinese and six per cent Indians.

Thus, all eyes were on the by election to see the indication of whether such a change is imminent or not and true enough, judging from the overwhelming majority obtained by Anwar, which better off the one garnered by his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in March 8 general election, one cannot deny that the political tsunami is really hitting the country.

Though the result does not change the political equation with the Opposition still holding 82 seats while BN 140 seats, the whole Malaysians are now watching closely on September 16 which Anwar has been declaring as the date where he could seize the government.

While it cannot be disputed that BN is still the legitimate government of the day, anything could happen from now until September 16 as in politics, nothing is impossible and there is always no permanent friend or foe.

With Anwar being appointed as the Opposition Leader in the house, BN must ring aloud the alarm bell and take a quick remedy rather than still doing soul searching as time is not exactly on their side as it is either September 16 or 2013 before Malaysians vote in Pakatan Rakyat should BN remain moribund. 

Having served as a deputy prime minister before, Anwar knows all the running mechanism of the government and BN ministers can expect a hard time from now onwards.

The people have made it loud and clear that they want change.  Transparency, accountability, corrupt free government and good governance are among the in-things now which people want.

It is no longer the usual political talks laced with racial unity and harmony and development that could attract the people.

Fifty one years after independence, Malaysians are now matured and look at things objectively and a truly Bangsa Malaysia, cutting across races has now thrived.

The mindset of the people has shifted and they want something fairer and not racial based but something which is based on profile of multiracial and multi religious Malaysians.

The victory of Anwar, like a senior Cabinet minister had said, should not be taken likely as the victory would become a trend that people want change, nothing but the change.

Until and unless something drastic is taken to remedy what has gone wrong, the BN can expect no longer rosy days ahead.

But one thing for sure is that Malaysian politics has taken a new chapter with the emergence of new political trend which cuts across the ethnic boundary.