Both Sides Now At Ijok

Graphics courtesy of Malaysiakini

Blogging for BN, Blogging for Opposition. We saw it in Batu Talam and we saw a bit more of it in the Machap by-election. The role of blogs in the two by-elections may not have been crucial but it was obvious. For Ijok (nomination this Thursday and polling April 28), bloggers on both sides of the political fence are making themselves visible early. One can't help but wonder how it will be come the general election. Will blogs help decide the outcome?

Too soon to say. In the meantime, in Opposition's flawed Opus, his lengthy analysis of the Opposition's defeats in Talam and Machap ahead of the Ijok by-election, Bigdogdotcom said the reach and readership of the (blogs) is still low. But even if it is not so, Bigdogdotcom does not think the current Opposition line-up is good enough.

"The fact still remains. There are no credible alternatives to BN. Many talk about some of the BN personalities being corrupted and (of) abuse of power, but the Oppositions are not any better, even though they have never had any power yet at national level (with the exception of PAS, in Kelant, in 1990 till present, and PBS, in Sabah, 1990-1999)!"

Elizabeth Wong, in her posting (Ijok) And So It Begins, takes an early swipe at the BN over a RM5 million mosque built for the Ijok folks. According to Harakahdaily.net, she writes, this was a project meant to begin some 10 years ago, way back in 1996.

"Dude … that’s so ‘8MP’. Though it would be interesting to read the Selangor finance accounts regarding this, it is still better late than never! Rhinoplasty does take time to heal, no?"

Among the on-line media, Agenda Daily appears to be rooting for the BN. In its newsreport Ijok - Jangan ada yang merajuk, it seems to say that Parti Keadilan Rakyat's "headache" over who to field at Ijok gives the BN a head-start. On the other hand, Malaysiakini has reported a rift in Barisan Nasional's MIC following speculation that a rank outsider may be fielded as the party's candidate (A teacher to lead MIC's charge in Ijok?). Analisis Malaysia, which is just one of the political blogsites born of late, has dubbed Ijok as PKR's nightmare in this analysis, Pilihanraya Ijok: Mimpi ngeri untuk PKR.

More bloggers have entered the Ijok fray. There will be very few fence-sitters among them but whatever these bloggers post, the internet lets the reader inspect both sides of the coin. Something the mainstream media can continue not to do at its own risk