Malaysian Politics part 4: The moderates hold the key

If you are an avid reader of newspapers, blogs and news websites like I am, then you will notice that there is a strong polarisation going on between the current ruling coalition and the opposition. Even if you would only believe half of what is written you would think that the country is on the brink of a civil war or at least close to self destruction.

The opposition accuses the government of bankrupting the country and to squander the future of Malaysia while the governement states that the opposition is the one that would bring disaster to the country. Both are wrong of course but that is politics I guess.

What is also politics in Malaysia is the constant personal attacks on both sides. It is one thing to question someones policies, it is another thing if you start accusing your opponent of murder, sodomy, rape, theft, etc. True or not, such gutter tactics should not have a place in a civilized society.

Thirdly race and racial issues have become more important in the political actions of all parties. Indian rights, Malay supremacy and Chinese economic power are daily topics. Extreme groups like Perkasa and Hindraf are regular news items no matter how ridiculous there points of view are.

So what effect does all this have on the voters? Not much in my opinion. Extreme politics will only alienate the more moderate voters and push them away from you. Both sides have their base of loyal supporters that will not move to the other side no matter what. Some people will believe through thick and thin that Anwar is the divine savior while other will never lose their faith in UMNO. So the key is that you do not have to win those staunch supporters over. In stead you need to focus on the moderates that hold the oh so important swing vote.

Moderates are allergic to extreme messages and tend to think through their pockets. They are not uneducated but are also not pure intelectuals. They like to receive clear messages that explain complex issues in simple terms. At this moment BN seems to be doing a better job of understanding that than PR.