Barisan Nasional won the Indera Kayangan by-election with a bigger majority despite MCA's internal problems and the growing unpopularity of the government of the day.

On closer introspection, Barisan Alternatif has done a relatively good job too. Obviously more Chinese voters voted BA (about 30 percent more than in 1999). This was gained despite MCA's ploy to spike fear in the voters that a vote for BA meant a vote for PAS and a vote for a Taliban-style government (even though this is not true).

This is why to me BA has won morally in this campaign. It succeeded in explaining the issues to the Chinese, even without DAP's help. In fact, this has clearly proven it does not need DAP to win Chinese votes.

The Chinese also put aside their fears that PAS equals Taliban — and the Islamic state issue — when they voted for BA. After all, even BN has endorsed Malaysia as an Islamic state.

If this upswing trend of Chinese voters to BA continues till 2004, it will be interesting to see what BN will do.