A simple strategy to beat BN at the next GE

via Malaysia Chronicle by admin@ malaysiachronicle on 12/20/10

If this exists after 53 years, it is time to pass the baton!

I have a simple suggestion how BN can be defeated at the next GE. In fact I learnt this from Karpal Singh.

When I was still in legal practice, I once watched how Karpal won a case at the Supreme court. When his case was called, he stood up and said, “My Lords, I actually have 5 points to make, but I shall not trouble your Lordships with that. All the 5 points are in the written submissions that are already before your Lordships. I shall take no more than 5 minutes to focus on just 1 of the 5 points …”

Needless to say, the 3 judges smiled when they heard he was going to take only 5 minutes of their time. Karpal banged hard on his strongest point of course. No matter how much the prosecution tried to put forward arguments on other points (which Karpal did not trouble to address), it was abundantly clear to the judges that the prosecution could not reply to that most vital point of the case that Karpal latched onto.

The judges even told the prosecution counsel, “We don’t want to hear any other points. We just want to hear your reply to that one point that counsel for the accused has put forward.” The prosecution fumbled because they actually had no reply to the most important point in the accused’s favor. The judges swiftly decided the case for Karpal.

Ever since that day in court, I used the same strategy and began winning more cases than losing them. I left legal practice 16 years ago, but I have not forgotten what I learnt that day – thanks to my learned friend, Mr. Karpal Singh.

OK, the point I am making is this – we need to bang hard on our strongest point against the BN and keep it simple. Too much information and too much argument and your most important and winning point is lost amongst all the details of other stuff, especially stuff that are controversial and open to reply from the other side.

What is that one point that will move the ordinary Malaysian and that will kill the BN?

I think it is this – so long as the ISA, OSA, PPA and SA are in our laws, BN politicians can legally hide and protect themselves from being exposed and prosecuted for all their corruption, abuse of power and even murder, and keep themselves in power. All that is necessary is for Pakatan to tell Malaysians that they pledge to immediately replace the ISA, OSA, PPA and SA with a Freedom of Information Act if they are voted into becoming the next coalition government. That of course does not ensure that Pakatan will be a good government, but it will at least ensure Malaysians that no politician can get away with “legalized” corruption, abuse of power or murder! And no government can use these unconstitutional laws to keep themselves in power. I bet you every Malaysian will appreciate that.

It is not necessary to explain the ISA, OSA, PPA and SA. And please DON’T! Just state it very simply like what I said above – in one paragraph and let it be said in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Chinese and Tamil – just 4 distinct paragraphs that can be contained in an A4 size leaflet, and print millions of these leaflets to pass out everywhere just 1 week before the elections. BN will have totally no reply to this.

Just my little contribution for Malaysia.