Short-sighted politics
The failure of the BN and Pakatan Rakyat
Both the BN and PKR, which leads the opposition PR right now, have so far been disappointing in their game plan for our long-term future. Perhaps we should look to this week's PAS muktamar to see if the opposition Islamist party, which has 38 years of ruling experience at state level, can offer any ideas and actions for long-term, sustainable democracy in Malaysia
By Wong Chin Huat, The Nut Graph
SO another by-election is over — the sixth since 2008.
Garnering 85% of the total votes cast, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)'s Dr Mansor Othman won the Penanti state seat with perhaps the highest ever majority lead in history over his closest rival who only gained 7% of the votes cast.
And he did it in an election with only a 46% voter turnout — one of the lowest in Malaysian history.
At the same time, another Merdeka Centre opinion poll is out. Two months after stepping into his new job, prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is enjoying a meagre approval rating of 45% from peninsular Malaysians. Still, considering the political chaos in Perak, this is an increase, though slight, from the 44% approval rating he could only muster a week before his appointment on 3 April 2009 as Malaysia's sixth premier.
So, what next? I don't know about you, but I am tired, even though I am trained in political science and my professional life is rightly about politics.
I am tired because as we fix our eyes on these battles, we seem to lose sight of the bigger question: where is this country heading to?
Make no mistake. I am not suggesting that Malaysians should forget about politics and concentrate on the economy. One has to be super naïve to expect economic recovery during political chaos.
My contention is this: do the Barisan Nasional (BN) and the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) have a clear plan for long-term political development in Malaysia?
Granted, British economist John Maynard Keynes had this famous line: "In the long run, we are all dead." And his fellow compatriot Prime Minister Harold Wilson said years later: "A week is a long time in politics."
How long is long-term? Long enough for party alternation to be possible.
So, the long-term question before the BN and PR is simple: can they swap roles and play them well?
Can the BN survive as opposition?
Najib has made clear to his party that he only has 18 to 24 months to turn the tide in the BN/Umno's favour. That means he is prepared to face the music by October 2010 or April 2011.
READ MORE HERE: http://www.thenutgraph.com/
