Regaining ‘nambikei’ still touch and go for BN

Sheridan Mahavera Sheridan Mahavera Updated 6 years ago · Published on 24 Mar 2018 7:00PM · 7 Comments

The launch of the Malaysian Indian Blueprint last year. Analysts say Indian voters are gradually returning to Barisan Nasional due to the Najib administration's policies, but youth and urban voters view opposition MPs as champions of the community. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, March 24, 2018.

OPPOSITION politicians of Indian descent are held in high esteem by Indian youth and urbanites, which can prevent Barisan Nasional from regaining the community’s “nambikei” (trust) in the 14th general election, said analysts.

They noted that there is excitement surrounding the Najib administration’s policies targeted at the Indian community, including the Malaysian Indian Blueprint (MIB), but pointed out that Indian MPs in PKR and DAP were viewed as champions of the community.

So the big question is this: will the opposition’s popular personalities trump the feel-good policies unveiled by the BN government to win over the Indians?

A few analysts believe that 60% to 65% of the 1.1 million Indian voters will likely vote the same they did in the GE13 – for the DAP and PKR.

But others are convinced that based on trends in GE13 and GE12 in 2008, the Indian vote is gradually returning to BN and it could gain between 45% and 50% of the community’s support in this election.

What will make the difference, said Prof Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), will be whether BN can successfully distinguish its service to the community from PH.

“Urban, middle class and young Indians may still support the opposition. A lot of what the BN has done is targeted towards the B40 group,” said Sivamurugan.

 

‘Cool’ opposition

Dr Anantha Raman Govindasamy of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) believes that up to 65% of Indian voters will likely vote for PH.

The reasons for this trend include the trust issues that many Indians had with BN and a popular culture among Indian youths of voting for PH.

“For Indian youth, it’s actually ‘cool’ to vote for parties in the opposition,” said Anantha, who is senior lecturer in politics at UMS’ liberal studies cluster.

Elected Indian representatives from DAP and PKR are also seen to have performed well, he said.

“Unlike in the past, the community now has other political parties besides the MIC to look after their welfare and interests.”

About 99.5% of nearly one million Indian voters reside in nine states in West Malaysia, namely Kedah, Perak, Penang, Selangor, the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, Negri Sembilan, Malacca, Pahang and Johor.

They form 10% of the voting population in 70 parliamentary seats, while in 11 seats, they comprise more than 20%.

Anantha said that 60% of Indians can be classified as working class or poor, while 30% are categorised as middle class. The remaining 10% are those living in plantations. 

In the national polls five years ago, the MIC won only three – Tapah, Segamat and Hulu Selangor – out of nine parliamentary seats it contested.

It also only won five state seats, one each in Malacca and Negri Sembilan, and three in Johor.

 

Father to the Indians

MIC’s poor performance in GE13 led to questions over whether the party can claim to champion the community.

In comparison, PKR, PSM and DAP have 10 Indian parliamentarians, while DAP has 11 Indian state lawmakers in Negri Sembilan, Perak and Penang.

MIC and BN are banking on the Malaysian Indian Blueprint and Najib administration’s initiatives to win back the community’s support.

The MIB is aimed at uplifting the community’s poorest members while Najib has started a raft of schemes to aid Tamil schools and upgrade Hindu temples.

Najib has repeatedly used the term “nambikei” to brand BN’s outreach to the community. MIC leaders have even dubbed him the ‘father of Indian development’.

While Sivamurugan does not discount the opposition’s popularity among Indian voters, he said the MIB would have the most impact on the community’s working class members.

The positive response from the MIB is expected to come from this segment of the community, which Anantha said make up 60% of its members.

The Najib administration’s outreach to the community that began when he took over in 2009 and its various policies has improved the BN’s standing.

“In the 2008 election we saw that Indian support for BN was as low as 8% in some areas,” said Sivamurugan.

In GE13, support towards the BN had increased to a national average of 43%, he said.

“If going by this trend, we could see support increasing to between 45% to 50% in GE14.”

MIC information chief Mogan Velayatham had said the party is targeting to get 70% of the Indian vote. – March 24, 2018.

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Comments

  • even if logically, my brains tell me you are a good person , i will still think ill of you and vote against you, if you make me feel small.

    Pakatan makes the indians feel small. Because of that, even if the indians thought that pakatan was on the good guys, many indians will likely return to the government fold, because of this .

    Considering that no one, whether malay, chinese or indianthink that pakatan is that good ( well, maybe not the chinese) , you don't have to be an expert to know that many indians are going to return to government's fold.

    The way Najib is massaging the indian community's ego, the indian's will sure feel welcome in the government's arm one la. Najib is not even blaming them for abandoning them in the 2008 and 2013 election. Instead he just heaps praises on us and says how valueable we are and keeps showering us with gift after gift. Whether you are a women or a race, your heart will sure melt one with the way that najib is wooing you - heck, you won't even care if najib is indeed a thief - as far as you are concerned, you will love him as maid marion loved Robin hood.

    Posted 6 years ago by Nehru Sathiamoorthy · Reply

    • p/s: who is that OPPOSITION politicians of Indian descent that are held in high esteem by Indian youth and urbanites, pray tell ? I don't think any indian can name even one opposition politician of indian descent ? Is it gobind sing deo? He is singh but i guess close enough? There is also that deputy chief minister of penang i think although i can't remember his name and charles santiago of klang . That is about it i think . Compared to the main opposition names, these guys are little more than shadows, except maybe gobind singh ....they don't bring pakatan the support of the indian community, they are supported by the indian community because they are pakatan ....it is not the same thing ....

      Posted 6 years ago by Nehru Sathiamoorthy · Reply

    • Go and learn English. Stop using Googles translate. It makes a fool out of you. If you want people to understand you in a forum, you have far more to learn and shape up your skill set in writing. Does not matter on the political leaning , but if it is a rubbish comments and badly written response it is very annoying. You are jusking asking to be f......

      Posted 6 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

    • it is obvious that i am so much smarter and better than this fella here, but still he believes he is better and even attempts to teach me .... this fella here by the way , exemplifies the typical opposition mentality ....no matter how obviously good you are , and how obviously lousy they are, for no reason they will still think they are better and more qualified than you ....the next time you think that things will be better under the opposition than it is under BN , i suggest you come read again this idiots comment up there, and realise your mistake ....At least BN tells you straight in your face that the reason you wont get a chance is because "sorry, quota habis", but this opposition idiots here will take up all the good stuff and than come and tell you with a straight face that you didnt get a chance because you are not good enough for some made up excuse ( like because you cant speak mandarin, although you are not asking for the position of ambassador to china) even when it is obvious the every man and his dog that you are obviously better than them... dont be fooled by what the opposition says, look at what they do and how they behave ...

      Posted 6 years ago by Nehru Sathiamoorthy · Reply

  • Indians are always gullible more so the down trodden. These simpletons are always taken advantage of by the bn especially mic. They can be bought over by a kilo of rice, a saree, a sarung etc. distributed only during election times. They don't realise that Indian students with excellent results are not given the field of study the yearn for. They are often given some unpopular courses which the students detest. Small business opportunities like stalls in hawkers centres are rare. Several times the PM promised better employment opportunities in public sector but never follow through. Low cost housing benefits are also extremely limited. The Indians become important only during election time. Once the election is over they are forgotten. The Indians don't need special treatment. They need a government with strong commitment to formulate sound policies to uplift the whole B40. So this talk that the Indian community will be given some special treatment is empty talk.

    Posted 6 years ago by Saham san · Reply

  • I doubt much Indians see PH politicians as hero's but truth is they should still vote PH, for same reason Sarawak and Sabah should, For working with Ayatollah wannabe Hadi Awang. Unless they want to turn all Muslim, they better not buy Najib's bull.

    Posted 6 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • Please Najib - no more promises or dedak. What we Indian need from BN is free TUAK. Yes freeTuak - the lovely alcohol juice made from coconut tree. This Tuak will make us clear our head and vote for you, BN

    Posted 6 years ago by Chris Ng · Reply