UMNO’S National Veteran Club (NVC) is perturbed by the low turnout of the Chinese voters during the recent Sungai Bakap by-election.

Its president Datuk Mustapha Yaakob expressed regret that DAP leaders failed to engage the 22% of Chinese voters in the state constituency. This is because during Saturday’s (July 6) polling, only about 47% of Chinese voters turned up to vote.

While the majority voted for the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led coalition, some might have voted the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) out of frustration. In contrast, Malay turnout was 70% followed by Indians (57%).

Maybe, DAP did not play an effective role in mobilising the Chinese voters. But at the same time, the level of support among the Chinese for the ruling coalition in general and DAP in particular in the country is waning.

The Chinese might think that there is no political alternative to the DAP or PH-led coalition. However, they are not blind to the fact that things are not going well for them in the country.

DAP leaders were once vociferous defenders of Chinese cultural and linguistic rights. However, such a scenario is hardly the case now.

Seeking political alternative

Being part of the PH-led coalition with positions as ministers, deputy ministers and state EXCO positions with perks, DAP leaders have begun to behave like mandors to the Malay hegemonic government of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

DAP might have the most numbers of parliamentary seats in the government but its influence on the government of the day is minimal.

Its ministers and deputy ministers function more as bureaucrats rather than policymakers. They have hardly any input in the derivation of government policies.

While the Indians are slowly deserting the PH-led coalition’s partners, namely the DAP and PKR, the Chinese are looking for a political alternative. Unfortunately, the political alternative is not there.

Chinese voters in the Sungai Bakap constituency were unhappy with the government for the introduction of targeted diesel subsidies, the rise in price of goods and services, the phenomenon of inflation, among others.

At the cultural level, Chinese voters are upset over the latest directive on the Dual Language Policy (DLP). The mandatory requirement of teaching science and mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia in at least in one class in Standard One and Form I have upset the Chinese community.

The directive has thrown asunder the choice to be exercised by parents. DAP never took up the DLP matter with PM Anwar in a systemic manner.

It is unfortunate that the main principal leader of the DAP functions as Anwar’s political secretary. How is it possible for the party to put forward bold requests of the Chinese community if they continue to play the role of second and third echelon leaders.

Escalating Chinese disillusionment

UMNO was not even successful in convincing its members in the Sungai Bakap by-election to throw their support to the ruling coalition. UMNO and DAP might be political partners in the Madani government but this association has not prevented UMNO grassroots members from seeing the latter as their political enemy.

It took the MCA about four decades to lose support among the Chinese but Chinese disillusionment with the DAP might require a shorter period. It is already happening!

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow might think that the PH-led coalition lost the narrative to the PN opposition.

But unfortunately, how can the ruling coalition present a better narrative when its policies have gone berserk without considering the larger interests of the Malaysians?

At the end of the day, it is not about PN having a better narrative then PH-led coalition but whether the ruling coalition is doing the right thing to solicit the support of ordinary Malaysians, particularly those in the lower socio-economic bracket.

If the majority of Malays went along with the PN opposition, this has nothing to do with the green wave. Race and religion might be factors but they have to be contextualised in the larger political, economic and social circumstances.

Those who voted PN might have done so to ameliorate their everyday hardship. The resolution of their social and economic predicament arising from rise of price of goods, targeted diesel subsidies and others might have been sought in religious terms.

In this respect, PN could have offered a better alternative to the crass materialism of PH-led coalition with its synthetic religious credentials. - July 8, 2024

Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.

https://focusmalaysia.my/are-the-chinese-pakatan-harapans-last-bastion-of-hope-losing-faith-in-dap-asks-ramasamy/