So everyone is sitting up straight like an eager phallic device anticipating some action! There is afterall the big picture that Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is now at the helm of the charge, seeking a decisive first mandate. There is also the battle for Najib to first justify the right to contest the new Cameron Highlands seat at the expense of PPP, and throw in the usual East coast battles. What do we have? Yeah right...
This is my prediction. BN will sweep all states except Kelantan (no prizes for guessing why!) and a close fight in Terengganu. A new face at the helm with something to prove, I believe many are willing to give Pak Lah the benefit of the doubt. He is afterall the face of a more conciliatory UMNO and despite the pessimists, has dealt some blows to the rich and corrupt... although not nearly enough.
A strong mandate will see the real Abdullah Badawi come out of the shadows, and surprisingly this may not augur well for the establishment (read Rafidah Aziz, Najib and co) and surprisingly the stupendous opposition (read PAS). A respected religious scholar with the bonus of some machiaveliian understudy, Pak Lah can ill afford to demonstrate his more upright backbone. This may change with a popular mandate and show us why Dr Mahathir resisted extending his reign this time around.
A weak mandate helps no one except the opportunists within the establishment and only encourages thoughtless rhetoric from the less atuned religious opposition. Perhaps in this case, DAP may be the rejuvenated winner - if Kit Siang and co stand firmly against PAS' poorly advised script. But I'd rather not dwell on this, what I'd describe as the worse case scenario for the country!
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