原题 ∶No mystery but Umno puzzled about Chinese vote
作者 ∶拉惹柏特拉
发表日期∶12-04-09
翻译 ∶
副首相，巫统副主席丹斯裡慕尤丁感到非常困惑、茫然和不解。他无法明白为何华裔马来西亚选民鄙视国阵。他不瞭解为何为华校投入了百万元计的拨款，国阵依然在武吉干当及武吉士南卯两场补选落败。他对华裔为何在新的政治生态中，以造王者自居感到迷惑。「由于马来族群分裂成三个派系，华人觉得，虽然他们是少数族群，却掌握了决定性的大权。在这种情况下，他们能够决定大选及补选的结果，如我们现在看到的一样。」
「他们认为他们有决定的权力，不只是华裔，印度人也一样。」他于4月11日接受《马来西亚前锋报》星期刊访问时说。
补选失利必有因
慕尤丁并非唯一一位不瞭解或不欲瞭解华人心态的人。前首相敦马哈迪称，华人投票给民联，因为反对党把霹雳州宪政危机，描绘为「马来人政府篡夺华人政府」的尝试奏效了。
可能，身为补选竞选总指挥的慕尤丁，因武吉干当及武吉士南卯两地补选失利而失望。事实上，要了解华人的思维并非那麽难。就像其他大马人，他们能够分辨诚恳及虚伪的人，也厌恶那些不尊重市井小民心声的政客。
民联三位州议员的跳槽，以及霹雳苏丹让国阵成立州政府的决定，也影响了当地的选情。
对许多308支持民联的选民来说，霹州夺权事件令他们不满。
此外，两个武吉的选民也面对了地方性课题，马华署理总会长蔡细历说。他更指出，在两地，从前的议员长久以来都对民生问题视而不见。
「在华裔聚集新板及十八丁等地沿户拜访，很清楚可以看到华裔选民对国阵议员们无法实现他们的承诺感到非常失望。」蔡细历说。他还指出，很多国阵议员没有地契却霸佔土地。
糖果政策失效
「描绘尼萨为亲华人，以及指责他背叛苏丹，看来对马来选民功效微不足道，但却赶走了更多的华裔支持者。在当地，巫统地方领袖依然玩弄种族牌，但受过教育的马来选民却觉得他们只是一班追求本身利益，而非为族群奋斗的政客。」蔡细历又指出。
这并非他首次在国阵于补选中失利后展开检讨。去年峇东埔补选后，他指出，执政集团没有向大马人展现出多元族群的一面。巫统继续专注于马来选民聚集的区域，将华、印裔家庭交由马华、国大党处理。
这与民联多元色彩的竞选活动相反。瓜登一役也失败后，他批评向选民大撒糖果，以期待能够获得他们的选票这种荒唐事，更指出华人选民（其实各种选民都一样）期待他们的民意代表能够持续与他们交流，以及为社群所关注的议题打拼。
这些课题超越了华校、华文或地契等等。教育水准更高的华人年轻一代对人权，公平竞争及新经济政策也很关心。商人阶级也相信他们经商的机会正在迅速萎缩。假设他们中止支持马华及国阵，那是因为国阵似乎轻率看待他们的需求及所关注的事。
相反的，民联积极争取的课题，是对社会不同族群都很重要的课题。华人并非有意扮演造王者的角色。就如其他选民一般，他们只希望能被重视。
KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is confused, perplexed, puzzled.
He cannot understand why Malaysian Chinese voters continue to treat the Barisan Nasional with disdain. He cannot fathom why after tossing millions of ringgit to improve Chinese language schools, the BN lost by-elections in Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau.
Malaysia’s deputy prime minister wonders whether the Chinese have begun to think of themselves as kingmakers in the new political landscape.
“The Chinese even though are a minority group feel that they have the deciding power because the Malays are split into three groups… In such a situation, they can decide the outcome of an election and this can be seen from the general election and the by-elections.
“They think they have the power to decide. It is not only the Chinese but the Indian community as well,’’ he told Mingguan Malaysia today.
Muhyiddin is not the only who cannot understand or chooses not to understand the psyche of Chinese.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says that Chinese voted for Pakatan Rakyat because they were swayed by efforts by the Opposition to frame the Perak constitutional crisis as an attempt by a Malay government to usurp power of a Chinese government.
Perhaps Muhyiddin, who was the by-election campaign director, and Dr Mahathir, who had little impact on the outcome despite making an appearance in Bukit Selambau and Bukit Gantang, are looking for scapegoats and excuses to hide their own deficiencies.
The Chinese are not so difficult to figure out. They like other Malaysians can smell hypocrisy and are loath to support those who have little respect for the view of the everyday man.
The defection of the three Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers and the Sultan of Perak’s decision to install BN as the new state government reeked of bad faith.
To compound matters, the brazen partiality of institutions only served to confirm in the minds of many Malaysians who were the good guys and who were the usurpers of power.
For many of the voters who supported Pakatan Rakyat in March 2008, the shenanigans surrounding the episode showed that the arrogance and boorishness of BN had not dimmed despite the wake-up call 12 months ago.
Then there were local issues to contend with in Perak and Kedah. Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek, MCA’s deputy president, notes that Chinese voters in Bukit Gantang were concentrated in Simpang and Kuala Sepetang.
In both areas, longstanding local issues were neglected by the Gerakan state assemblyman.
“Walking from house to house in Simpang and Kuala Sepetang, it became obvious that the Chinese voters are disillusioned with promises made by BN’s YBs, that remains unfulfilled,” he said, noting that many have been squatting on the land without proper land title.
“Portraying Nizar as pro-Chinese and also as alleged treason to Malay Sultan seems to have very little impact on Malay voters. However, it only serves to drive away the non-Malay voters. At the local level, Umno leaders are still playing the racial card while the more educated Malay voters feel that there are more self-serving leaders rather than for their race,” said Dr Chua.
This is not the first time he has conducted a post-mortem on BN after a by-election failure. After Permatang Pauh, he noted that the ruling coalition never presents a multiracial face to Malaysians.
Umno campaigns in Malay areas, MCA is assigned to win over Chinese households and MIC is asked to take care of the Indians.
This is in contrast to the multiracial show put up by Pakatan Rakyat. Following the defeat in Kuala Terengganu, he noted the folly of throwing goodies at voters in the hope of capturing their vote, pointing out that Chinese voters (for that matter any voter) expect their lawmakers to interact with them continuously and to champion issues important to the community.
These issues go beyond Chinese schools, the Chinese language and land titles. Younger and better-educated Chinese are concerned about human rights, a more level playing field in Malaysia and the New Economic Policy.
The business class believes that opportunities are drying up for them here.
If they are withholding their support for MCA and the BN, it is because their needs and concerns seem to be taken flippantly by the ruling coalition.
In contrast, the buffet of issues being championed by Pakatan Rakyat are those that are important to different segments of the community.
The Chinese have no interest in playing the role of kingmakers. Like other voters, they just want to be taken seriously.
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