[Msia] Elections 08: T+2

It is a fascinating time for Malaysian society. The way the opposition parties made gains in state and Parliamentary seats is to say the least - stunning. While the first shock has passed (that the BN did that badly), the after tremours have really yet to be felt. My own wonderings:

- It is weird (and this applies only in the Malaysian sense due to history) that the BN "lost" - it is truly a perception game. Getting the 2/3 majority is probably a rarity in other democratic countries. I suspect that getting the 2/3 majority will be hard to ever achieve again.
- There is not enough credit being given to the police and all parties (BN and opposition parties) that there were no riots. And Malaysia still functioned as a peaceful country the next day.
- Although there was a lack in the cohesion of the BN spin after the results were final. They seemed to want to attribute the losses to the dismal performance of the MCA and MIC. On the surface, it may seem right. However, one notes that UMNO which was supposed to carry the Malay vote had to also have had to perform badly else it would not have been that bad.
- How will the state governments that are formed under the opposition work? Realistically they only shared 1 temporary common goal during the campaigning period. But in the longer term, how do the fragmented and competing interests converge?
- While there could be some common ground for DAP and Keadilan to work on, how does PAS come into the picture? I cannot see this as being some reflexion point where a strong 2nd Opposition slowly emerges. More likely I feel is where West Coast politics are concerned - that Northern states will form a more "detached" identity from its Central + Southern brethren.
- I do wonder how will the opposition parties manage their respective wins. Now that they are not barking from the outside and will be forced to work from within - how will they really perform is probably how well they get elected / kicked out in the next election. As the saying goes - be careful for what you wish for ... you might just get it :)
- I can only imagine what is going on in the BN right now. Hot wok + ants = a lot of scrambling. I only wish this gives them plenty of fodder for reflection. Is 2-4 weeks enough time to know if Badawi survives or not?

If this recent election somehow releases new streams of sociall dynamism in Malaysian society -- be it from the opposition parties (via their new policies and experimentations at governance) or BN (in it's quest to remain relevant and reinvent itself properly this time), I can only pray that this somehow leads to the overall betterment of Malaysian society.