A government-in-waiting Pakatan is not
By Zubaidah Abu Bakar (NST)
PAKATAN Rakyat's leaders are becoming its own worst enemies.
Lunas assemblyman Mohd Radzhi Salleh's exit from Parti Keadilan Rakyat has further dented the opposition alliance's credibility.
It came in the midst of an attempt to solidify Pakatan from a loose electoral pact to a platform that reduces conflicts among its three components — PKR, Pas and the DAP.
Pakatan leaders decided this month to come up with a formal arrangement similar to that of the failed Barisan Alternatif, which the three parties were members of, for voters to compare with Barisan Nasional.
A week before that, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang warned that Pakatan could become a one-term wonder if it failed to show more cohesion and inspire public confidence.
Cracks have appeared in the alliance as its leaders clash in the states they administer.
A succession of conflicts in the handling of state matters and allegations of corruption have diminished Pakatan in the eyes of voters.
Many who voted for the opposition in the last general election have good reason to reassess their rejection of BN.
Pakatan suffered its biggest blow in Perak when two PKR assemblymen and one from the DAP quit to become independents, causing it to lose its majority in the state to BN.
Pakatan leaders blamed BN for enticing its representatives but opposition supporters also accused them of failing to ensure unity and discipline.
Radzhi's resignation from PKR, citing loss of confidence in the party leadership, may not have a bearing on the balance of power in Kedah, but is enough to increase tensions and a sense of instability in the Pakatan state government.
His loss not only marks the second time Kedah Pakatan is beset by internal crisis but re-ignites speculation of more defections.
The Pas-led Kedah government was jolted in July when DAP's sole representative in the state assembly, Lee Guan Aik, threatened to declare himself an independent in protest over the demolition of an illegal pig abattoir.
Radzhi will likely lose his executive councillor post in charge of tourism, community development and human resources after Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak said it had been assigned to PKR.
The party now has four assemblymen in Kedah, none of whom is Malay. Bukit Selambau's S. Manikumar and Bakar Arang's Tan Wei Shu are already in the exco, leaving the choice of Radzhi's replacement to Sidam representative Tan Chow Kang and Kulim's Lim Soo Nee.
Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim could instead opt to give the exco post to Pas, which controls 16 of the state assembly's 36 seats.
DAP's Lee could also be appointed, a move observers believe would appease the party's supporters.
A year-and-a-half after making electoral history in the 2008 general election, Pakatan is rapidly losing its lustre as an alternative to BN.
It now has its hands full fighting a growing perception of ineffective leadership, discord and graft, and is in no position to offer itself as a government-in-waiting.
