How Important Is The Hulu Selangor By-Election?

I have only managed to get 2 hours sleep overnight. yesterday was a little better at about 5 hours, but have been driving incessantly over the last 2 days. Am glad I took leave Thursday and Friday as was feeling quite run-down, but I certainly cannot blame the work telecons I still dialed into yesterday if I come in exhausted and late on Monday.

The driving has been incessant as the person who I would usually share the burden of these tasks has had knee problems. Have had to organise food primarily, with so many people coming. And as usual, we've had to cater for a variety of palates; not too much spicy or savoury, not too much sweet, not too heavy... and of course, it doesn't help that we still haven't got a maid...

Maid? Hulu Selangor? What the?

Actually, I'm not in Hulu Selangor today, in line with my view of the pointlessness of 'penamaan calon' as an exercise in support of the party's chances of winning an election. It may help boost the morale of the candidate and party workers, sure, but I have my son's birthday party to worry about today... yes, I have been busy with that, buying food, getting stuff, running around as my wife has to do less. All the above has nothing to do with any PRK.

So, what do I think of this coming PRK? I have no reason not to be consistent where a pattern is set - it isn't really relevant! Both sides may wish to make of it more than it is; proof of 1Malaysia's acceptance, or not, proof of Pakatan support in Selangor, or not. Unfortunately, the proof is IN the pudding, as they say, and frankly, both sides have not shown any 'proof'! OK, BN is ahead due to some developments like 1Malaysia and the NEM whilst Pakatan's accident-prone, but...

So, in the end, it is down to... the quality and acceptance of the candidates! In the end, politics is local, so for the locals, the way heart-strings are pulled may well overwhelm any national-level propaganda. And on this I must say, knowing the candidates for who they are, BN is ahead... assuming Zaid is still to be the PKR candidate for this one...

But in the grander scheme of things? I say we wait till there's more meat on the bone to show from both sides... else, in a national context, DS Najib's apparent popularity and DS Anwar's eminent doom nonwithstanding, status quo will likely prevail, for the most part.