On Reflection | Najib’s the election favourite, but is there a Malay tsunami coming?
Pollsters who predict a win for the ruling Barisan Nasional in the Malaysian election may have failed to capture the psychology of the Malays, who have lost patience with their government as a feeling of aib – shame – sets in
Professor Redzuan Othman, the vice-chancellor of the University of Selangor, has often insisted numbers do not lie. And that his statistical models are empirically solid.
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The flaws lie not so much in the numbers and metrics but the failure to capture the psychology of the Malays, the linchpin of Malaysia, as the country inches closer to its 14th general election, which could be called as early as the end of April.
Possibly the best insight into the Malay mentality are three Malay proverbs that have been passed down from generation to generation.
One is “Melayu pantang di cabar”, which roughly translates to “Malays do not like to be challenged or provoked” – a warning that has not been heeded in this heated election season.
